CLUBLAND From the renaissance of an ethical members’ club in Covent Garden to the opening of an arts-focused hub in Clerkenwell, these are the openings to know about this season W o r d s H A R R I E T C O O P E R, LU C I A N A B E L L I N I & R AC H E L I N G R A M
Sessions Arts Club
I
The Old Sessions House, 24 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, EC1 sessionsartsclub.com
t’s taken six years of meticulous restoration overseen by Swedish brothers Ted and Oliver Grebelius of Satila Studios, but Sessions Arts Club – which opens this summer – has been worth the wait. Housed on the fourth floor of 18th-century former courthouse Old Sessions House, in the heart of Clerkenwell, the unique space has been transformed into an elegant restaurantmeets-wine bar-meets-gallery. Founded on the cornerstones of art, food and music, the club is the brainchild of artist Jonny Gent; Jon Spiteri, one of the founders of the much-loved and revered St John
restaurant; architect Russell Potter, who has worked with Soho House and Polpo Group; and the Grebelius brothers. With such illustrious names on board, this city sanctuary was always going to be a standout. And indeed it is. Interiors are stripped back; think distressed walls, stucco collonades, scrubbed wooden floorboards and original fireplaces. Chandeliers, a piano and mismatched furniture, much of it sourced from markets and salvage yards, add to the aesthetic. “I worked very closely with Russell Potter who more than anyone understands the poetry of space,” reveals Gent. “I’m just as intrigued by the raw as the polished. The intention was always to dress it as
16
NEW CLUBS 14.indd 16
11/08/2021 12:46
