Jin Bow Law Skybar opened on the 14th floor of Aldgate’s Dorsett City Hotel.
Designed by Dexter Moren Associates (DMA), the rooftop bar’s aesthetic was inspired by an age-old Chinese tale, drawing from eastern culture with ornate patterns adorning the bar and VIP areas.
The phrase “Jin Bo Law” can be used to describe a “precious thing,” which is characteristic of every design detail and element of space within the bar. In Cantonese, the same phrase means “pineapple” and is the reason for the centerpiece, one of the most distinguishing features of the project, with its stylized crisscross pattern which begins at the ceiling and runs down the bar to provide a backdrop befitting of the Bronzetto Palissandro marble top counter.
The streamlined design of the bar continues onto the deck, which has views of the city including Tower Bridge, The Shard and The Gherkin. Lined with backlit furniture and a linked balcony, the rooftop deck is playful and modern. Kebony, which is used to deck the entire project, was chosen for its enhanced strength and durability while complementing the bar’s design aesthetic.
Developed in Norway, Kebony’s technology is an environmentally friendly process which modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfuryl alcohol, an agricultural by-product. By polymerizing the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood including high durability, hardness and dimensional stability. Kebony is resistant to wear and weathering, and although a natural material, the wood requires no maintenance beyond normal cleaning and can stand up to testing conditions far better than untreated softwood.
Mark Heyburn is the Dorsett City Hotel manager.
Photo credit: Michael Molloy