KM Central is a 3-star hotel owned and operated by The University of Edinburgh, offering a quirky ‘left bank’ style interior concept. 3DReid’s interiors team created a bespoke solution to suit the client’s business case, then designed and delivered this vibrant rebranding and interior concept.
3DReid designed the £2.7m refurbishment of a former student residence to create a 3-star, 45 guestroom hotel for Edinburgh First, the commercial arm of The University of Edinburgh.
Working within the confines of the existing student room structure, 3DReid’s design makes use of all the available space to create comfortable and well equipped bedrooms and a breakfast room that doubles as a post graduate student common room. The team drew inspiration from the building’s namesake, Kenneth MacKenzie (1822-1907) a missionary and minister of the Church of Scotland who served in what are now Malawi and Zambia. Research suggested a figure who stood out in society, standing up for common beliefs.
Italian large format concrete effect floor tiles were the starting point for the feel of the space, manifesting itself in industrial style features such as exposed ceilings and iron effect wall coverings. A lighter, more quirky and fun feel was brought in with an eclectic mix of materials, textures and furniture. Bright bursts of colour within the fixed joinery elements and furniture softened the industrial feel. Hundreds of postcards, riveted metal plates, and wire pigeon hole boxes created a variety of feature wallpapers, with wooden pallets forming the public bathroom ceilings and OSB rough boards, ‘branded’ with their delivery information, formed the WC cubicles.
