TOWN HALL UNEARTHS THE BEST OF THE EAST END’S ARTISTIC TALENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTSADMIN December 2009 – Town Hall, new hotel apartments in the imposing Bethnal Green Town Hall which has stood in the heart of East London since Edwardian times has announced a first time collaboration with East End arts organisation Artsadmin to curate the collection of artworks appearing throughout the stunning building via an open commission scheme to unearth the work of six local artists. Set to open its doors in April 2010, Town Hall is currently being converted by Rare Architecture into a 98 room hotel and apartments that combine the luxuries of a five star hotel with the space and style of a designer apartment. Continuing the ongoing theme of collaborating with emerging creatives and organisations on all facets of the hotel, Town Hall’s founder Peng Loh approached Arts Council funded organisation Artsadmin in early 2009 to launch an open commission scheme in July asking East-based artists to submit pitches for a major series of site-sensitive artworks for the Grade II listed building. The traditional 1930s building will house work by CLAIRE MORGAN, BALINT BOLYGO, DEBBIE LAWSON, WALKWALKWALK (Gail Burton, Serena Korda, Clare Qualmann), PETER LIVERSIDGE and ZOE MENDELSON who were selected by a prestigious panel including Gill Lloyd MBE, former Turner Prize nominee Zarina Bhimji, artist Frances Scott, Artsadmin Director Gill Lloyd MBE, Iwona Blazwick OBE (Director, Whitechapel Gallery) from an initial 176 applications. “It’s rare to be given so much freedom in a commissioning project and exciting to be involved as curators of artwork in a public building from the construction stage onwards. Rather than adding in some art almost as an afterthought, we are able to work on a long lead-in time with the artists, architects and building team to make sure thatv the artworks are sensitive to the context of the hotel and reflect the rich history of the Town Hall building and Bethnal Green,” say Manick Govinda and Nikki Tomlinson of Artsadmin. Artsadmin requested briefs via their website for artists to create art works that responded in sensitive and novel ways to both the building itself and its relation to the local area’s context and history. Artists working in two and three dimensional visual work – installation, lens based and kinetic – were eligible to apply. All artists selected had the prerequisite of having a working studio in the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney or Newham, and had to have been making work for no longer than 10 years. In collaborating with local artists, Peng Loh aims to give something back to the local East End community: QUOTE PENG LOH ABOUT WHY ARTS ADMIN – why did he not choose larger name artists etc. Think this is important in consideration of the area. A shortlist of approximately 10 artists were given a fee of £1000 to develop their pitch further in October 2009 and given the opportunity to meet with project partners Artsadmin and Rare Architecture on site. The final six artists selected have each been requested to create 3-4 bespoke pieces for the hotel, allocated a budget of between £12 000 - £21 000 each, inclusive of installation costs. Work will be launched from April onwards 2010. Town Hall Hotel Apartments is located on Patriot Square. For further information visit www.townhallhotel.com ENDS For further press information or images please contact: Kate Atkinson and Louise Moore at Purple +44 (0) 207 439 9888 kate@purplepr.com / louise@purplepr.com For further information regarding Artsadmin, please contact: Sam Scott Wood @ Artsadmin +44 207 7247 5102 sam@artsadmin.co.uk www.artsadmin.co.uk

TOWN HALL: A CONTEMPORY LOOK FOR AN EAST END LANDMARK November 2009: In April 2010, one of the East End’s most historic buildings will reopen its doors as Town Hall Hotel Apartments. Entrepreneur and hotelier Peng Loh commissioned London and Paris based Rare Architecture (directed by Michel da Costa Goncalves and Nathalie Rozencwajg) to restore this Grade II listed building whilst also making the modernisations required to transform it into a luxury 98- room hotel. Fusing Edwardian, Art Deco and contemporary elements whilst ensuring that the building retained its original splendour was one of architect’s biggest challenges. “The building plays with the division and connection between old and new and is a reinvention as well as a restoration – one which we hope will be a treasured landmark for East London” says Michel da Costa Goncalves of Rare Architects. Planning committees, English Heritage and architectural journals have all taken interest in the development of this restoration since the original design feasibility study in 2006. Rare’s visionary and sensitive redevelopment gained English Heritage support and approval and as a result a new floor has been added to the building. The new space added to the roof is discreetly set back from the frontage but forms a stunning new rear facade, which marries together three phases of construction. Town Hall is one of the first British projects to employ a cutting-edge technique that covers the new outer wall with a performative ‘skin’, laser cut in a pattern inspired by the art-deco metal ornamentation in the building’s original Council Chamber. Bold and striking, this innovative patterned aluminum skin is an entirely new approach for this traditional building. The architects have been involved at every step of the way to make their vision a reality. Enormous craftsmanship has gone into a sensitive restoration of wide marble halls, dramatic staircases and stunning public rooms which include a traditional council chamber and the original council meeting rooms. Working within strict guidelines, the designers play up the original features of this 1910 and 1930s developed building. The building retains some of its original elements such as a beautiful façade in fine stone complete with tower and cupola, and several sculptures commissioned from Henry Poole (renowned for works in Westminster Central Hall and St Paul’s Cathedral). Each apartment is tailored individually and boasts unique features – no two of the sizeable rooms in this hotel are the same. From the contemporary, under-the-eaves loft space flooded with patterned light from the ornamental metal skin, to the high-ceilinged traditional rooms with dark fumed oak and classic grey stone, each guest’s experience will be different. Every studio, one bedroom and two bedroom apartment offers fully integrated kitchens complete with Corian work surfaces enclosed within a bespoke cabinetry as well as unique, architect designed bathrooms. The hotel’s original sash and Crittal windows ensure the rooms are bathed in natural light and the sliding doors and fluid layouts further enhance the spacious rooms and create the comfort of a long stay facility and classic boutique hotel design that emanates a feeling of longevity. Town Hall also offers nine feature rooms which are located in the original Edwardian public rooms. The glass partitions enable guests to appreciate the full ceiling height and sense of space, while innovative bespoke furniture for the kitchen and bathrooms preserve the original plasterwork and elegant dimensions. The magnificent De Montfort suite takes full advantage of the architecture and original features. Designed by architects to act as the original Edwardian Council Chamber featuring decorative plasterwork, the room still stands with triple heighted ceilings with large arched and stained glass windows that commemorate the local area’s history, such as the Arms of the De Montfort family, after whom rooms, suites and apartments of the building are named. The spacious open plan room provides an event space for dining up to 20, a sitting area and study while a staircase rises to the secluded bathroom and bedroom to create a seamless integrated whole. A state-of-the-art kitchen has been furnished to traditional standards for hotel head chef Nuno Mendes to create exceptional tasting menus for the ultimate private dining experience. Midcentury classics and bespoke pieces inspired by 1950s and 1960s Scandinavian elements are peppered throughout the hotel with each room boasting a unique handpicked array of sofas, chairs, beds and tables. Catering for the diverse selection of spaces to be found in the hotel, Rare has enlisted lighting specialists, Viabizzuno, to develop and design the lighting which was used to create zones. The public spaces echo the principles of the old enhanced by the new, with traditional features including safes inherited from the old local bank, benches on the public galleries and various cabinets associated with modern touches including kinetic classes and new lighting techniques. Rare’s design for VIAJANTE restaurant, bar and private dining rooms offers a very different look and feel to the historical surroundings. Diners enter via its own elegant classical entrance to a room with its arched, original sash windows. Mendes’ finishing kitchen is an integral part of the restaurant experience, allowing diners to watch Nuno and his chefs put the final touches t each dish. The hand-crafted tables and chairs have been designed exclusively by Rare who have collaborated with Parisian designer Tzuri Gueta on the internal fabric lining to lampshades as well as incredible silicone tapestries. Best known for his haute couture design work with design powerhouses Dior, Givenchy and Armani, Gueta’s black lampshades with internal multi-coloured silicone create a contemporary interpretation of traditional wall and ceiling ornaments, whilst the silicone chandelier over the bar provides a permanent installation. The opening of Town Hall brings modern design to dynamic East London, casting a light on this burgeoning urban part of London and its smorgasboard of cultural activity. ENDS For further press information or images please contact: Kate Atkinson and Louise Moore at Purple +44 (0) 207 439 9888 kate@purplepr.com / louise@purplepr.com

NEW RESTAURANT FROM CHEF NUNO MENDES TO OPEN AT HISTORIC SITE IN BETHNAL GREEN In March 2010 celebrated Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes will open his much anticipated restaurant in one of the East End’s most historic buildings. VIAJANTE restaurant and bar will open in TOWN HALL; new hotel apartments in the notable Grade II listed Bethnal Green Town Hall from entrepreneur and hotelier Peng Loh. Paris and London based architects Rare Architecture were commissioned to restore the Edwardian and Neo-Classical Town Hall, whilst also making the modernisations required to transform it into a luxury hotel. TOWN HALL will open a month later in April 2010 following completion of the entire project. Nuno Mendes’ vast experience spans from his culinary training in San Francisco to working with some of the world’s leading chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Rocco di Spirito and Jean-Georges Vongerichten in both New York and London. Mendes is a pioneer in gastronomy, a traveller or ‘viajante’ who has explored the globe in search of unique ingredients, innovative techniques and first hand experience on local farms. Nuno’s tasting menus combine the simple with the extravagant, taking inspiration from Portugal, Spain, Asia and Scandinavia, culminating in menus that manifest as “the sum of my experiences until today”, according to Mendes. VIAJANTE SAMPLE MENU DISHES Charred sea bass and green apple, black olive and crispy ponzu Yoghurt and peas, buttered hazelnuts and prawns Razor clams, pickled carrots and coconut, enoki mushrooms and dill Smoked aubergine, potato and soymilk, uni and truffle Cold crab dumpling and fake shark’s fin soup Umami: Do mar a montanha (Iberico pork neck and Langoustine) Lamb belly and scallops, nori dust and fennel Baby onions and Gruyere, tapioca and oyster cream Aged beef and vegetable ashes, cauliflower and burnt bread jus VIAJANTE will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, serving a selection of tasting menus of 6, 9 and 12 courses with carefully selected accompanying wines; a 3-course menu for £25 will also be offered at lunch time. Mendes plans to host Supper Club events in the private dining room in VIAJANTE as well as in the spectacular De Montfort suite. Acting as the original Edwardian council chamber with decorative plasterwork, the De Montfort suite still stands with triple height ceilings and large arched windows incorporating stained glass that commemorate the local area’s history. The suite’s own kitchen and table seating up to 20 guests is the perfect exclusive setting for one of Nuno’s renowned Supper Clubs. DESIGN Designed by Rare Architects, VIAJANTE restaurant, bar and private dining room resides on the ground floor of the Town Hall through an elegant Edwardian entrance hall separate to the hotel apartments. The restaurant’s intimate space with lofty, arched original sash windows has two areas, the smaller of which is able to be separated to accommodate a private dining space. Mendes’ finishing kitchen stands at one end of the restaurant and is an integral part of the restaurant experience, allowing diners to watch Nuno and his chefs put the final touches to each dish. The hand-crafted tables and chairs have been designed exclusively by Rare while features such as silicone tapestries and the lighting have been created in collaboration with Parisian designer Tzuri Gueta (best known for his haute couture design work with Dior, Givenchy and Armani). Black lampshades with internal multi-coloured silicon, designed by Rare, create a contemporary interpretation of traditional wall and ceiling ornaments. VIAJANTE BAR The VIAJANTE bar, across the entrance hall from the restaurant, features a fantastical chandelier art-installation, again using Gueta’s silicone technique of creating light with texture, which hangs directly over the bar itself. Classic lounge furniture with contemporary twists is arranged in clusters creating intimate experiences. Cocktails continue Mendes’ philosophy with clean and interesting flavours, beautifully presented mirroring the elegance in which his food is portrayed. Bar food is modern and unique with tartares and ceviches, contemporary sandwiches and selections of small dishes. “My passion for food and cooking was always evident, but after embarking on a journey to San Francisco to attend the prestigious California Culinary Academy, I knew then, with all my heart, that I wanted to be a chef. Since that day in 1996, I have lived my life as a constant quest for knowledge and discovery that has lead me to the far reaches of this world, and eventually back to London, the place where I call home these days, and the place where I wish to propose my personal views on food and dining”. Nuno Mendes VIAJANTE restaurant and bar from Nuno Mendes promises to strengthen the East’s identity as the vibrant creative hub of Europe’s leading city, not only through innovative cuisine but through the design and inspiring minds that have all worked together to make up the ‘story’ that is VIAJANTE. TOWN HALL The imposing Town Hall in Bethnal Green has stood at the heart of London’s vibrant East End for a century and will now offer a spacious 98 hotel room and apartments following a visionary extension and a sensitive restoration under the direction of Rare Architecture. Town Hall offers a mix of studios, one bedroom suites, two bedroom suites and feature rooms with fully integrated kitchens as well as bespoke, architect designed bathrooms. Every apartment has been individually designed offering original retro furniture combined with contemporary Scandinavian inspired hand-crafted pieces. As a cultural core of the East End and former backdrop to many films, including Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Atonement, Town Hall strongly believes in supporting the local community. As a result Town Hall enlisted the support of not-for-profit East End based art organisation ‘Artsadmin’ to run an open commission scheme, asking up-and-coming local artists to create works for the new hotel. The judging panel, which included input from individuals such as Manick Govinda and Iwona Blazwick, Director of Whitechapel Gallery, selected and commissioned six artists to make ten installations to be displayed throughout the hotel. Town Hall’s basement will house the hotel’s pool and gym. The pool area has been designed in shades of white marble with touches of brass to recall the elegance and charm of a traditional spa. The glass walled gym overlooks the pool and offers state-of-the-art equipment and audio equipment. Only fifteen minutes walk to London’s financial district and well-connected to the city and the West End by tube, train and road, Bethnal Green has recently emerged as a melting pot for artistic talent in London. Famous today for its markets, edgy bars and, as the heart of London’s artistic community, there are a myriad of stories to discover; from the Museum of Childhood to the speciality restaurants of Brick Lane. EDITOR’S NOTES NUNO MENDES BIOGRAPHY Nuno Mendes was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal. He became interested in food at a young age and has dedicated his life to exploring and perfecting his cooking. Growing up, Mendes’ spent time working through culinary treasure troves of Spain and Portugal, even spending time working on farms to gain a greater understanding of food. Nuno left Europe in the 1990’s and trained at the prestigious California Culinary Academy in San Francisco before going on to work with some of the world’s leading chefs. One such chef was Mark Miller from The Coyote Café where Mendes first worked as a Chef de Cuisine. Mark’s influence encompassed South Western American and Latin American cooking, an influence which later allowed Nuno to develop further Latin American concepts; Mendes was a consultant for Chilango, the new burrito concept in London. Other influential mentor chefs for Mendes included Wolfgang Puck, Rocco di Spirito (Union Pacific) and Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Jean-Georges in New York and Rama at 50 St James in London). During this time Nuno travelled throughout Central America, Europe and Asia gaining both culinary and life experiences along the way, including learning from highly respected Ferran Adria during a ‘stage’ at El Bulli in Spain. In 2006 Mendes opened Bacchus in Hoxton London where he received critical acclaim. After the closure of Bacchus in 2008 Nuno decided to open and develop a new concept he calls THE LOFT; a private members supper club where Nuno hosts dinner parties and tests new recipes and concepts to willing and intrigued diners. The Loft is an intimate experience that takes place in Mendes’ own home, and which now has a dedicated following of food lovers and admirers, so much so that dinners are booked up months in advance. For further information or images on VIAJANTE restaurant and bar please contact: Gemma Bell at Purple +44 (0) 20 7434 7066 gemma@purplepr.com For further information or images on TOWN HALL please contact: Kate Atkinson and Louise Moore at Purple +44 (0) 20 7434 7060 kate@purplepr.com / louise@purplepr.com FACT SHEET Address: Patriot Square, London, E2 9NF Telephone: 020 7621 8791

The Town Hall is a very special listed building in the heart of London's vibrant East End. Combing avant-garde design with all the imposing grandeur of Edwardian architecture and art-deco interiors, this is an unforgettable venue. No wonder so many film maker have chosen to film here you might recognise some of the rooms from Atonement, Brideshead Revisited and even Poirot. From the moment your guests arrive at the grand marble entrance hall, they know this will be an event to remember. Our professional team of staff woking under a dedicated event manager organise every detail for an event that works seamlessly - letting you get on with the business of enjoying yourself. Each of our beautifully restored banqueting rooms are flooded with natural light, while the decor includes walnut panelling and bespoke furniture ensuring our Design Hotels of world status. Whether you're organising a product launch, company celebration, conference or a discrete board meeting and dinner, the Town Hall can provide an inspirational 5 Star setting at a price that represents excellent value with delicious memorable catering from our chef patron Nuno Mendes. To celebrate opening we are offering to the first 25 people who book one of our c&b packages taken from April 2010 to December 2010 (minimum numbers of 50 guests apply) a free weekend break at the Town Hall Hotel including breakfast for 2. If you would like more details or to check availability then please contact Karen Birks - 0207 621 8788 or email kbirks@townhallhotel.com. C&B PACKAGES £65 - Day Delelgate £78 - Deluxe Day Delegate £60 - Hot Bowl Food £68 - 3 Course Menu £73 - 4 Course Menu £75 - Prohibition Summer £98 - Venetian Masked Ball £98 - Sparkling Wedding £175 - Champagne Wedding £250 - Kristal Wedding 3 Course Menu Package Room Hire Half bottle of wine Assorted Soft Drinks Caramelised butternut squash and goats cheese tart, pistachio praline with roasted shallot and lime leaf dressing. Crispy duck confit, green apple, roasted fennel Jordanian almonds and juniper jus. Warm dark chocolate fondant with peanut butter ice cream.