English Premier League soccer side, Southampton FC has created a new premium hospitality lounge called 1885, which is a pitch-facing space inspired by London’s top brasseries for a relaxed and luxurious offering.
1885 has been designed by KSS Architects who collaborated with interior consultants Rainbow to supply all the bespoke and loose furniture to fit the style brief for the lounge, which is Southampton FC’s most premium hospitality package. Rainbow worked closely for the furniture supply as the products used had to match design intent of KSS, as well as stand up to the rigors of a matchday hospitality experience.
With cool and luxurious spaces, offering a four-course meal and fine dining with table service, The lounge provides a relaxed and unique experience for the guests centered on flexible dining and a striking bar and lounge area reflecting the city’s merchant navy past and celebrating the Saints’ history and heritage.
1885 features full height glazing and incorporates historical memorabilia and artifacts into a contemporary interior. Club memorabilia are placed in the library allowing guests to see first two decades of Saints beginnings, their foundations, culture and influence across the city of Southampton.
“The concept of this pitch lounge was to celebrate the first two decades of the club since it was founded in 1885, a very specific time frame, which gave us some fantastic historical moments to look at. There was so much depth that we could use made it very interesting overall,” said Claire Wilson from KSS.
Tony Antoniou, Rainbow managing director, added: “We really enjoy all the workplace projects we have worked in over the last 30 years and the successful move into hospitality has been a real breath of fresh air for Rainbow. It has allowed us to work with architects and designers in spaces that have different needs, tend to be more exciting and allow us to use more interesting products and solutions. However, there is something really special about working with stadiums because the idea of adding to the already exciting experience is fantastic.”
