Style, design, research: what if the common factor was a city? The answer comes at once: London. Always moving: the UK capital is the quintessential place where contemporary trends are born, where ideas come together to give rise to ambitious projects, often a source of inspiration in the large, varied and open-source world of design.

The city has come a long way since the days of Swingin London, though it has still retained its unique atmosphere. Nowadays, one might define it Inspirational London: an iconic place, destination and starting point for artists, creative people and, of course, starchitects. Like Tom Dixon, an eclectic UK architect who chose Santamargherita’s Italian éclat for the marble floors of the Sea Container House restaurant.

Santamargherita marble floors could not have found a better location across the Channel: under the creative guidance of the talented Tom Dixon, at the head of the Design Research Studio team, the Sea Containers House restaurant took shape and attracted the attention of design lovers as one of the best projects in the whole of the UK. Plus, the position speaks volumes: the Sea Containers House is part of the Mondrian London Hotel on London’s Southbank, between Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge, names that even those who have never set foot in the city have heard of at least once in their life.

The Sea Containers House perfectly blends in with the urban fabric, also thanks to its proximity to the places Londoners love the most and simply not to be missed by any tourist in town for the first time (and on subsequent visits too…) Shall we drop a few names? The Tate Modern, among the most famous modern and contemporary art galleries in the world, the London Eye, the world-famous Ferris wheel with breath-taking views of the city. And what about the theatres: the National Theatre and the Shakespearean Globe Theatre, to name a few.

Super chic, super posh, super stylish! The Sea Containers House is all this and much more: it’s a corner of captivating beauty overlooking the banks of the Thames. Informal, cosy yet refined and sumptuous at the same time: in one word, cool. And aesthetics is not its only strength: although the visual impact is powerful, we are speaking of a restaurant after all: here, American and British cuisine mix and mingle to offer guests a comprehensive and immersive taste experience. A contemporary slant with an eye on the creative inspiration of international cuisine is the added value of the venue, designed down to the smallest detail, starting from the furnishings, floors and walls. The marble floors made with Santamargherita products perfectly blend in with the general harmony of this magical place, one of its kind in the whole of London and, why not, in the whole world.

The external building of the Sea Containers House is clearly inspired by the golden age of transoceanic cruises in the Roaring Twenties: glamour, elegance, refinement in each and every detail, all reinterpreted with an utterly contemporary twist.

Designed to immediately generate a “wow effect” in anyone who has the luck or opportunity to visit, the Sea Container welcomes visitors with an imposing wall entirely clad in copper. The idea is to evoke the hull of a ship, which from the outside leads you to the inside of the venue. The view on the Thames and the wonderful terrace on the river where you can dine al fresco complete the picture.

If you happen to visit London, don’t say we didn’t tell you about it.

The Editor