Inside Sybarite Studio: London’s Brutalist Luxury Architects

Torquil McIntosh and Simon Mitchell co-founded Sybarite in 2002. The pair shared a revolutionary vision for luxury spaces—one that foresaw the future of experiential retail and hospitality. The London-based global design studio has been behind such major recent projects like SKP-S Beijing and SKP Chengdu. Blurring the boundaries of art and architecture, and with a keen eye for aesthetics, they have collaborated with brands like Marni and Ferrari to distill each iconic house’s unique point of view and appeal to an ever-expanding customer base. 

Recently, McIntosh spoke with Whitewall about his creative influences and love of art. Piet Mondrian and Anton Prinner count as recent references for projects, as do Constantin Brancusi and Paolozzi. A lover of futurist films like Blade Runner and Ex Machina, McIntosh also shared with us how recent trips to Galerie Maeght and the Fernand Léger National Museum will no doubt influence what comes next.

WHITEWALL: Your architectural journey began with an appreciation for ecclesiastical structures such as Sainte-Chapelle and Chartres Cathedral. How has this sense of grandeur and lightness influenced your approach to contemporary retail and experiential design?

TORQUIL McINTOSH: The latter period of Gothic architecture, namely Le Flamboyant, has been a continual source of inspiration, both in terms of architectural expression, and with respect to the pure innovation and skillful engineering that emerged from the period. By referencing periods of architecture which remain iconic today, Sybarite has created structures and environments that look forward to the future while echoing the past.

“Sybarite has created structures and environments that look forward to the future while echoing the past,”

Torquil McIntosh

My fellow Sybarite co-founder Simon Mitchell and I felt that when approaching the architecture of SKP it was paramount that the style remained timeless. We referenced iconic movements such as Gothic architecture, for example in the way columns pleat into the ceiling to form its geometry, which subsequently introduced a strong, rhythmic flow throughout SKP’s interior architecture, reminiscent of walking down a cathedral nave. Throughout this initial period of concept design, we sought inspiration from other historical periods, such as the Art Deco period and Moorish architecture, specifically the Alhambra. By leading with authenticity and heritage, the architecture of SKP is as relevant today as it was at the start of its inception 12 years ago, and we are confident this will continue.

Soulful Architectural Influences 

WW: Brutalist architecture and artists have played a pivotal role in shaping your aesthetic. What is it about this visual language that resonates with you, and how does it translate into the projects at Sybarite?  

TM: Growing up between France and the U.K., I remember flying to boarding school from Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 1 and being struck by the Brutalist architecture of the airport. In retrospect, this memory highlights the essential appeal of Brutalism to me, whereby the basic function and structure of the architecture are stripped down to utmost simplicity. Brutalism is defined by its command of materiality; there is creativity involved in manipulating a seemingly harsh material such as concrete and forming it in ways that become beautiful and sculptural. 

For SKP-S Chengdu, we felt compelled to create an otherworldly architecture to contain and somewhat challenge the brands and art installations within it. We designed a double-height, Brutalist architectural space which occupied two levels; the precast molded ceiling panels and bush-hammered concrete columns were faceted inward to accentuate the illusion of a spiritual space, creating a metaphor for transcendence, and an environment of experimentation for SKP-S. 

WW: Your work references a diverse range of architectural influences—from the Brutalist Barbican to the organic forms of Frank Lloyd Wright and Gaudí. How do you reconcile these contrasting styles within your own design philosophy? 

TM: Sybarite does not design with a set house style, rather we are client-led. When clients approach us, they are usually seeking a unique architectural language to represent their brand. We distill their DNA and transform that into an environment that is bespoke for them. 

To create architecture that stands the test of time, we draw inspiration from architectural eras and pioneering architects from the past. Our designs have architectural depth and contextual understanding. But rather than take literal inspiration from these, we draw on their design fundamentals and the essence of their approach, whether that is the striking, monolithic simplicity of Oscar Niemeyer’s civic buildings for Brasília, or the organic flow of movement within Frank Lloyd Wright’s V.C. Morris Building, or Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia which seemingly drips with opulence. 

Sybarite’s Dynamic Studio Culture and Vision 

WW: You’ve described yourself as deeply collaborative in business. Can you elaborate on Sybarite’s studio culture and how this ethos informs the design process for large-scale projects? 

TM: As a profession, architecture is inherently collaborative. Personally, as someone with dyslexia, collaboration has always been a requirement for my process. When I was studying at the Beaux-Arts School in Paris, I was adept in everything creative, whereas I truly struggled with writing and therefore that is where I used to collaborate with other students. 

Similarly, at Sybarite we build teams of people who are extremely gifted in varying fields—whether they are good at writing, drawing, modelling, Rhino or AutoCAD. Through building these cohesive teams we marry colleagues up successfully to subsequently produce the best results. Sybarite is currently a team of more than 100 architects, interior designers, visualizers, graphic designers, brand designers, product designers and marketing specialists, who all support projects from the micro to the macro and everything in between. We have also encouraged a healthy collaborative social environment within the Sybarite family with shared lunches with an in-house chef, life drawing, wine tasting etc within the Aircraft Factory, where the office is located.

“At Sybarite we build teams of people who are extremely gifted in varying fields,”

Torquil McIntosh

WW: Sybarite has redefined luxury retail with projects like SKP-S Beijing and SKP Chengdu. How do you envision the evolution of retail architecture in an era increasingly dominated by digital experiences? 

TM: In spite of the growing dominance of digitization, consumers are increasingly seeking spaces for intimacy and connection, and therefore it is imperative to find a balance between these two pillars. Despite the vast scale of each SKP location and the necessity to embrace digital technology, we endeavor to ensure that SKP retains all the sophistication of a luxury department store, allowing for pockets of intimacy and enclaves for connection. SKP is neither a shopping mall nor a conventional department store; it has forged its own identity as a new blueprint in luxury retail design.

Within the SKP design ethos, we offer layers of alternative environments for consumers to choose from and navigate within, from the vast, serene atriums to the elegantly intimate, sophisticated areas where the established superbrands can shine, to SKP-S with its colorful, experimental, experiential approach targeting the younger generation. Consumers of today and tomorrow seek authenticity in their experiences. It is important to lead with strong stories and cohesive narratives. It is paramount that the customer is immersed in an entirely authentic out-of-this-world environment—one they cannot access online. 

Blurring the Boundaries Between the Arts 

WW: Your projects often blur the boundaries between art and architecture. How do you approach the integrating of  artistic narratives into retail spaces, and what role does storytelling play in your designs?

TM: I have always maintained that art, architecture, music, and sculpture represent one discipline with differing scales. As architects, we design monumental sculptures with an added element of pragmatism. People occupy and utilize our spaces in different ways, but they still respond to their context and story. Whether the spaces in question are designed to stand in harmony and beauty, or whether the intention is for them to jar and provoke, there will always be a human response. 

“I have always maintained that art, architecture, music, and sculpture represent one discipline with differing scales,”

Torquil McIntosh

Composition serves as a useful lens to observe the multidisciplinarity through variations in scale. For instance, during the Gothic period, the ratios of width to height in religious spaces were aligned with the modal structures of Gregorian chants; through intertwining music and geometry, uniquely immersive experiences were created. This multidisciplinary philosophy is vividly demonstrated in our design for SKP Chengdu. Despite its vast scale at first glance, when walking within the site, layers of compositional zones unfold before the senses. SKP Chengdu is perceived as a symphony of complex compositions, with a perfectly curated rhythm, pulse, and the occasional crescendo.

SKP-S is a futuristic, episodic laboratory-like department store that blurs the boundaries between art, architecture, and retail. The SKP-S narrative began in Beijing as a collaboration with the retailer Gentle Monster. The concept of SKP-S Beijing, Moving to Mars, reflected the imagined experience of living and shopping on Mars. Through the creation of an otherworldly luxury retail environment, SKP-S was immediately recognized as a new benchmark in innovative and experiential retail, embodying the modus operandi of “experience per square metre.” Subsequent SKP-S “episodes” have opened in Xi’an, Chengdu, and Wuhan, continuing this narrative.

WW: You’ve worked with iconic fashion houses such as Marni and Ferrari. How do you adapt architectural language to reflect the unique identities of luxury brands while maintaining Sybarite’s signature vision? 

TM: When designing a monobrand store, it is the architect’s responsibility to distill the brand’s DNA and mobilize that essence to create a sense of place that customers can immerse themselves in. Further to this, it is important to understand at what point we are entering the brand’s journey and history. 

With Marni, from the outset Sybarite was integral to shaping the brand’s identity. Our first guiding principle was that we wanted the stores to be instantly recognizable without the requirement to read the name above the door. We saw an opportunity to reinvent the hanging rails. We designed them to become sculptural elements within the space. By hanging clothes on individual hooks, the rails could take any shape, they could detach from the walls, undulate up and down vertically, and then splay out to interact with the ground in subtle ways. These mirror-polished stainless steel rails became a signature feature across all Marni stores. When approaching the design of each Marni store, we rejected the cookie-cutter approach, ensuring each store responded to its city’s unique character and context. 

From the start of our work with Ferrari, the company was already one of the most recognizable and established heritage brands across the globe. Our brief was to create an immersive environment to complement Rocco lannone’s new ready-to-wear collection as part of their brand diversification. In the first instance, we built up a material palette grounded in terracotta, due to its use in Ferrari’s modeling and testing process and because it is a renowned Italian material. We also wanted to create strong photographic focal points within each store.

In Maranello—the flagship store opposite the Ferrari factory—we created an anamorphic sculpture of the Cavallino that fractures and reforms when viewed from different angles. In Milan, due to the existing building’s spectacular position next to Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II and its three-story structure, we saw the opportunity to suspend Michael Schumacher’s F1 car in the center of the space. Astonishingly, due to Ferrari’s national importance, the local authorities supported our proposal to cut through every floor of the listed building to allow us to suspend the iconic F1 car in the space.

Torquil McIntosh’s Personal Tastes and Passions 

WW: As an art collector yourself, how do your personal tastes in art inform or inspire your architectural work? Are there specific artists or movements that currently captivate you?

TM: I peruse and collect art with my wife, Jessie, who is also an architect and artist. We both constantly draw references from different artists and artworks, although this inspiration is rarely literal or immediately recognizable in our work. When travelling and visiting galleries, we focus on why artworks are successful, what makes them beautiful, and how they have stood or will stand the test of time. 

For example, when designing spaces, I take significant inspiration from the way that Piet Mondrian’s compositions are broken down into simple lines and blocks of color. I am also drawn to a commanding treatment of texture. Eduardo Paolozzi was a master in textures. Constantin Brancusi was a master of tactile visuality and physicality. He created beautifully smooth surfaces in his sculptures that he then combined with rough, textured areas. This juxtaposition of materiality is something we frequently draw inspiration from. 

“This juxtaposition of materiality is something we frequently draw inspiration from,”

Torquil McIntosh

Constructivist artist Anton Prinner also supplies a significant source of inspiration when it comes to playing with scale. With his mannerist approach, Prinner emphasized certain features by presenting them as uncomfortably large or anatomically incorrect, yet the components still come together harmoniously. Occasionally, architecture also needs to sit in that discomfort. With SKP, the juxtaposition between macro and micro is rooted in plays with perspective; from a distance one reads large geometric forms composed of the SKP Curve, and from a closer perspective, one realizes that the structure is dripping with detail and texture all derived from a related geometry. 

WW: Your passion for sci-fi cinema—particularly Blade Runner, Space Odyssey, and Ex Machina—suggests a fascination with futurism. How does this influence your vision for the built environment, particularly in retail and hospitality?

TM: Sci-fi cinema is the creation of versions of an imagined future that put the viewer into a high-tech, often surreal cinematic world. We aspire for our architecture to do the same. The creation of an immersive vision of the future is represented and reflected throughout our work in varying forms and scales. In Ex Machina (2014), the existing Juvet Landscape Hotel (designed by Jensen & Skodvin Architects) was chosen as the main location for the film, yet it was styled and filmed in such a way that it became a futuristic space. This relationship between how one can perceive a space and how that space can be elevated to create the maximum impact embodies a fundamental architectural principle in our studio. 

Blade Runner (1982) epitomizes an extraordinary use of imagination for futuristic architecture, as well as a commanding consideration of color palette. It is apparent that Ridley Scott utilised specific colour palettes at certain stages in the film to create different moods, whether it was heavy sepias for certain scenes or very dark reds for others. This clarity of vision, combined with strong, beautiful architecture has made the film powerful and timeless. 

In addition, I admire the set designer Ken Adam and the simplicity of his iconic interiors for the early James Bond films such as Dr. No, which were executed on a low budget, to later James Bond films with higher budgets such as You Only Live Twice, filmed in Japan with much more ambition and scope. I seek inspiration from these for my own work. 

Multicultural Influences and Perspectives 

WW: With Sybarite’s ongoing projects in Asia and the Middle East, what regional influences or cultural considerations have most shaped your approach to design in these markets?

TM: Although our brief with SKP has not ostensibly included references to Chinese architecture (instead we have developed a uniquely international style), it is paramount that our buildings integrate seamlessly into the Chinese urban environment. This is achieved through the subtle infusion of cultural influences. For example, the façade of our latest site opening, SKP Wuhan, is lit in such a way that it pulsates to echo the light emitted from Chinese glowing lanterns. Additionally, the grid-like, linear simplicity of traditional Chinese cities such as the Forbidden City in Beijing was referenced in the masterplan of SKP Chengdu, with the creation of village-like walkways connecting the SKP building at the North and SKP-S in the south, echoing the typology of the Han Dynasty, when cities were designed on a grid system to denote power and reflect the cosmos.

Within the Middle East, we designed a conceptual proposal for an experience-led science park called Najma. To honor the Arabic explorers of the past, we welcomed and praised tomorrow’s explorers of the cosmos at a site that integrates historical and astronomical elements to preserve and promote the nation’s rich heritage. 

WW: Design is an integral part of your daily life. With your wife also being a qualified architect, how does your shared appreciation for design shape your perspectives, inspirations, or even your home interior?

TM: Jessie’s artistic style is utterly free and forever evolving. Her approach as an artist is strongly influenced by her practice as an architect, and therefore her two-dimensional works are imbued with a spatial perspective. This conversational multidisciplinary approach is then translated in the interior of our homes. Our home in Somerset is a Grade II listed building, and therefore there is very little we could do to the main fabric of the house. We were, however, able to create beautiful juxtapositions in the interior, whether with sculptural pieces of furniture like the black steel kitchen island, or the way we painted the walls as if they were paintings in their own right, that then become the backdrop for further art in the foreground. The amalgamation of both of our creative influences is expressed through the layering of textures, colors, compositions, that then bring this house to life in a truly unique way. 

WW: Art, travel, and culture often inform creative minds. What are some of the places, exhibitions, or experiences—whether recent or formative—that continue to inspire both you and your wife in your respective creative practices?

TM: Jessie and I continuously draw inspiration from excursions and exhibitions of art, architecture, and music. We have a shared appreciation for the simplicity of form, richness of textured layering, and unique approaches some artists take to push boundaries. This enriches and informs our creative ethos. 

“Jessie and I continuously draw inspiration from excursions and exhibitions of art, architecture, and music,”

Torquil McIntosh

To take the most recent trip we went on, we visited La Fondation Maeght, located just north of Nice in the south of France. The building’s architecture was commissioned by Marguerite and Aimé Maeght and designed by Josep Lluís Sert. It is an archetypal example of the European modernist architectural style of the 1950s and ‘60s. The art collection is comprehensive, complete with works by Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti, and Marc Chagall. The combination of the art, the architectural space, and the location made it an unforgettably immersive experience for us both.

The following day was contrasted by the Fernand Léger National Museum, designed by Russian architect André Svetchine, with a beautiful landscape by Henri Fisch. Here, concrete was sensitively utilized as a backdrop that allowed the art to fully resonate. In London, we went to the current Anthony McCall exhibition at Tate Modern called “Solid Light” which was captivating in its interactivity, simplicity, strength, and beauty.

The Beauty of Collaboration

WW: Creative expression often extends beyond professional work. Are there personal projects, collaborations, or shared design influences that you and your wife explore together?

TM: Jessie is my main confidant, adviser, and sounding board. We collaborate at every level, and therefore there is a huge amount of trust between us. Our homes and interiors are where this can be observed most clearly, as we have collaborated on every house we have lived in together. 

“Jessie is my main confidant, adviser, and sounding board,”

Torquil McIntosh

We recently sold our house in West London, positioned locally to Sybarite’s current studio in Hammersmith. Sybarite is moving to Bankside, next to Tate Modern, and we have subsequently moved into a new home adjacent to this location. Situated in the RSHP, formerly known as Richard Rogers Partnership building, NEO Bankside presents us with a new set of challenges as we embark on weaving the tapestry of London into our interior. The space commands extensive views over London and its ever-changing textural landscape, with layers of different eras of architecture, from the 1600s to empty building sites filled with housing cranes and potential. When the renovation is complete later this year, materials, shapes, and textures within our new home will reflect this cityscape, to make sense of the surrounding world within which we will inhabit.