Hostem Archive · London, UK

The retail component of the complex, ‘Hostem Archive’, spans the lower ground and ground floor levels, offering a selection of bespoke and handmade garments, ceramics, artworks, and design objects as well as a perfume atelier offering a selection of seasonal fragrances in handblown perfume bottles. A retreat from the fast pace of the current consumer landscape, ‘Hostem Archive’ proposes a bold new model for retail, commissioning one-off projects and bodies of work and allowing artists, designers, and makers to produce work in a sustainable way. The items on display are available regardless of season as part of a permanent collection and are added over time, available to browse online or by appointment at Blue Mountain School. The building is host to several other sophisticated spaces: Mãos, an intimate, sixteen-seat restaurant; a custom-designed BDDW space on the second floor realized in collaboration with the artist Tyler Hays; Grace’s, a sequestered space for reading and listening designed by studio Valentin Loellmann on the rooftop of the building; and Blue Projects, an exhibition space comprised of a series of viewing rooms that presents a diverse programme of exhibitions throughout the year.