Aethos London Brings Japanese Calm to Shoreditch

Boutique hotel brand Aethos has opened its first London outpost in Shoreditch, with Barcelona-based Astet Studio transforming the interiors of a former Nobu Hotel while retaining the industrial character of the Ron Arad Associates-designed building.

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Aethos London Shoreditch occupies the 164-room hotel originally completed in 2017, defined by a striking facade of cantilevered balconies framed in glass, steel and concrete.

Rather than competing with the building’s strong architectural language, Astet Studio has introduced a softer material palette inspired by Japanese design.

The studio drew on the Japanese concept of Utsuroi, which describes a gradual evolution or transition. For Astet Studio, the idea allowed the existing architecture to remain constant while the experience of the hotel evolves through its interiors.

The approach extends across the lobby, bar, gym, members’ lounge and Mitsu restaurant.

Guests enter through the layered concrete facade into an open lobby characterised by earthy browns and muted natural tones. Natural materials, planting and filtered light soften the industrial setting while maintaining its underlying character.

“The colour palette draws from the Japanese Shin-Bijutsukai movement, using natural materials, planting and filtered light to soften the architecture without diminishing its character,” the studio said.

Low-height contemporary seating and large textured rugs create a series of more intimate zones throughout the lobby, allowing the expansive space to accommodate different forms of use. Vintage furniture and decorative pieces are combined with work by local artists and designers, connecting the hotel to its East London setting rather than giving it a completely new identity.

Astet Studio has also introduced bespoke timber panelling across the lobby, breakfast rooms and bedrooms, bringing greater warmth and tactility to the existing concrete and steel structure.

“The palette combines hand-finished timber, textured ceramics, woven fabrics and predominantly matte finishes,”

“By favouring materials that absorb rather than reflect light, the interiors develop subtle changes throughout the day, giving the spaces a quieter, more tactile quality,” the studio explained.

In the bedrooms, the material palette becomes simpler and more restrained, combining muted grey, burnt orange and blackened timber. The shift is intended to create a sense of retreat within the busy city.

“In the bedrooms, the focus moves towards comfort, tactility and a quieter sensory experience,” the studio said. “Materials become softer, lighting more controlled and the overall atmosphere more intimate, creating a retreat within the city.”

The result is an interior that does not attempt to disguise the building’s industrial origins. Instead, Astet Studio has layered softer materials, local references and Japanese-inspired restraint onto the existing architecture, allowing the Shoreditch hotel to evolve while retaining a sense of its original identity.

Images by Pion Studio via Dezeen