Niccolo Barattieri Di San Pietro and Simon Edwardson from Developers NORTHACRE
1. Why is London the greatest city in the world for you?
NB
Samuel Johnson said it best: You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. “No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford”
SE
It is ever changing and has amazing cultural diversity with something for everyone, both professionally and personally. Its mix of history and contemporary design with some of the most beautiful parks in such central locations is something that in my view is unrivalled.
2. What is your favourite building and why?
NB
Being a Roman I have to say the Pantheon in Rome. It was completed by emperor Hadrian in about 120 AD and 2,000 years later it is still the largest unreinforced concreate dome in the world.
SE
A Northacre building of course! In all seriousness I think No.1 Palace Street is unique with prominent historical features and listed elements all brought together by a beautiful contemporary building overlooking Buckingham Palace and its Gardens. My favourite London landmark has to be St Paul’s Cathedral. It is a beautiful building and although not the tallest in town, it is certainly one of the most prominent.
3. Who is your greatest inspiration both personally and professionally?
NB
I have always had a great fascination of the Renaissance period and Leonardo Da Vinci was the true renaissance man. Not only was he one of the greatest painters of all time but he was also a mathematician, architect, botanist, engineer and the list goes on. What inspires me the most is the technological ingenuity, his ability to conceptualise things which would be in our everyday life hundreds of years later. In the end to be a good developer you have to foresee our clients demands and how they will want to live in the decades to come. It would be great if we could all have a bit of Leonardo’s forward-thinking ability.
SE
I think my family on both parts. Family is something that can never be underestimated.
4. You have produced some incredible interiors in your time, what has been your most challenging project?
NB
No question it is 1 Palace Street! From an engineering standpoint it is as complex as they come, a Grade II listed building and a façade retention on most of the perimeter of the site, all this to enable us to craft 72 unique bespoke apartments. All this facing onto Buckingham Palace.
SE
I think the Lancaster’s was a challenge, but it also created some amazing opportunities to showcase something that the market had not seen before and as a result was a huge success.
5. Which building (anywhere in the world) has the most inspiring interiors?
NB
The Royal Palace of Caserta, in southern Italy gets my nod. When UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site it described it as the “swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque”. The central staircase is mesmerising.
SE
Let me answer that question next year when we deliver No1. Palace Street!
6. Where does your inspiration come from and how to you keep your designs fresh and progressive?
NB
We look a lot at the retail sector as brands invest heavily in designing forward thinking retail experiences. They are able to experiment with expensive materials to great luxurious and welcoming environments which we then reinterpret for our residential developments.
SE
I think that keeping on top of trends and trying to understand what are design fads is very important. Creating something timeless is always something that we done and want to continue. Although we use third party architects we have a huge input on design from the exterior to internal space planning.
7. You are currently developing No.1 Palace Street (which we’re privileged to be instructed on), an historic listed building opposite Buckingham Palace. What are the main attributes you look for in a building/site?
NB
We need to be convinced that the building will enable us to create something out of the ordinary, that people will love to live in. These sites tend to be overlooking a London landmark, be an island site and have architectural qualities out of the ordinary. With this strong base we are then able to apply our 30 years of experience to craft unique homes
SE
Unique attributes are fundamental for me and something that not everyone one else can offer. One unique attribute is not something that can be relied on, you have to have multiple to create the most appropriate story for the market. There are lots of “vanilla” new buildings in London, however they are not particularly interesting and in turn may not stand the test of time.
8. You’re well known for your collaborative partnerships such as Linley, is there anyone you would love to work with on future projects?
NB
I would love to collaborate with Marc Newson. Not only is he the greatest industrial designer or our time but his smooth curved lines and choice of material would enable him to create very unique homes
SE
There are lots of people we would like to work with, whether its interiors or other collaborations however they have to have a different angle. As they are part of our business, our in-house interior design team N STUDIO do always produce something that fits the brief perfectly which can sometimes be difficult to achieve when working with third parties.
9. Some of your schemes will have various F&B offerings, what is your favourite restaurant at the moment?
NB
It is interesting how in a short period of time London has become one of the culinary capitals of the world which makes this question very difficult to answer. Having to choose one I would pick UMU for its unrivalled sophistication.
SE
The Other Naughty Piglet in SW1 is exceptional. Its not fussy and the food is delicious.
10. Who or what is the next big thing in design from your perspective?
NB
You are probably expecting me to tell you about the next big thing in kitchen design, but… I am actually really pleased to see the fashion industry taking a stance on the amount of excessive waste that is produced by industrialised countries. A number of brands are now designing clothes and using recycled materials such discarded fishing nets, post-consumer plastic bottles and even used coffee grinds to become outerwear, swimwear and trainers. Real Madrid’s third kit last year was also designed using upcycled plastic waste found on beaches.
SE
In terms of space planning of apartments, you must listen to your marketplace and what they want. Designing something that you perceive to be the right thing to do can end up being a very expensive mistake! On a smaller note, I think elegance with technology needs to come back to the approach across the board. People want simplicity. Extremely convoluted and not user friendly systems are everywhere and all I hear is poor feedback not on their capability but how to use them. Bring back the good old light switch for me!
11. London is a great city, no doubt, but what could you do to improve it?
NB
They recently closed the Mall and all the roads around Buckingham Palace to traffic which made the experience of walking down from Mayfair through St James’s so much more enjoyable. They frequently close Regent Street to traffic and I would like this temporary pedestrianisation rolled out more regularly across Central London.
SE
Our green credentials is something that is always on my mind. With the introduction of the ULEZ zones we should see an improvement in how environmentally friendly we are. We have some great green spaces to make the most of – let’s protect them.
12. Favourite holiday destination?
NB
We all have our happy place and mine is Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany. Spending the summer there as a child and now with my children has given me so many wonderful memories.
SE
Montauk is up there for me. It’s like a Cornwall but with better weather.
13. What is next for Northacre?
NB
Completing both 1 Palace Street and The Broadway to the highest standard possible.
SE
Innovation is at the heart of our mantra and making sure we are continuing with our established approach but considering this is essential. You do not want to fall behind in a marketplace that demands the most exacting standards.
