After undergoing a significant redesign, The Wellesley has unveiled its brand-new cigar terraces complete with a bespoke commissioned artwork.

The terraces will provide guests with a cosy environment to savour and sample some of the world’s finest cigars from Europe’s largest hotel humidor.

Cleverly designed as a functional work of art, the terraces are comprised of transparent clear-glass columns and beams, cantilevered glass panels and vertical bronze fins.

Enclosing the terraces is a bronze metal screen made up of thousands of individually cast bronze buds, which is subtly lit allowing small pockets of light whilst revealing glimpses of the hotel’s iconic backdrop.

The concept of the sculptural screen was born from the idea of constructing a surface that reflects and captures the essence of the adjacent Hyde Park.

The hotel team worked closely with Lee Simmons, widely recognised for his work in sculpture and pushing the boundaries of art and architecture, and Make Architects, the award-winning architectural practice founded by Ken Shuttleworth, to bring the idea to life.

Originally built to house the Hyde Park Corner Tube Station, The Wellesley is renowned for its lovingly restored art déco interior and its original façade, a distinctive oxblood red by Leslie William Green, known for his design of iconic London Underground Stations.

The new design celebrates the iconic location of The Wellesley and pays homage to the hotel’s beautiful, historic architecture, whilst granting privacy to the Cigar Terrace’s patrons and guests.

Simmons said: “The commission has been a real privilege for me to undertake for such an iconic building and location, and I am really delighted with the outcome of the sculptural screen.

“The use of cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes have been truly pushed to their limits to deliver this project and working with a number of great collaborators throughout the development really brought this project to fruition.”

Private cigar masterclasses with The Wellesley’s inhouse cigar expert are available on request.