{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O126640"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O126640/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7676/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7676/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BK7676","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7675","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7674","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7672","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7670","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7668","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7667","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BK7665","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O126640/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O126640","accessionNumber":"S.227-2006","objectType":"Interior design model","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles.  His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.\r\n\r\nIn 1953, the Dorchester Hotel, London asked Messel to design a suite of rooms he would like to live in himself.  The luxurious suite of rooms and penthouse became known as the ‘Oliver Messel Suite’.  The suite and penthouse were restored in 1981 and continue to be in demand. \r\n\r\nThe penthouse dining room resembles a decorative arbour, with interlaced gilded branches and leaves on a background of mirrors framed by Burgundy curtains.  Half-birdcages act as light fittings.   Messel also designed the carpet, and created a sculpture of Bacchus to stand above the fireplace.  He created a small ornamental garden with a fountain surmounted by a statue of Leda and the Swan and cupids for the balcony.","physicalDescription":"A model for the interior design of the Dorchester Hotel Penthouse, 1953.  A dining room with burgundy curtains and gilded organic decoration on the walls.  The dining room leads to a roof garden, which consists of plants, gazebos and  a fountain surmounted by Leda and the swan.  Carpet designed by Messel.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"kaolinite","id":"AAT13815"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"glue","id":"AAT14815"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"plasticine","id":"x30671"},{"text":"foil","id":"AAT160106"},{"text":"gauze","id":"AAT14083"},{"text":"wire","id":"AAT11063"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"},{"text":"glueing","id":"AAT53012"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood, cardboard, fabric, and paint.","categories":[{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BK7676","2006BK7675","2006BK7674","2006BK7672","2006BK7670","2006BK7668","2006BK7667","2006BK7665"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES396985"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"interior design model","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1953","earliest":"1953-01-01","latest":"1953-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.226-2006","id":"O126632"},"association":"Ensemble"}],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"57.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"60","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"38.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The Dorchester Hotel asked Messel to design a luxury apartment he would like to live in himself.  The suite of rooms and penthouse became known as the ‘Oliver Messel Suite’, occupying the seventh and eighth floor of the hotel respectively.  The silk manufacturer Sekers supplied fabrics for the chintz upholestry designed by Messel and Luforma Ltd. of Castle Northwick made carpets to Messel’s designs.  \r\nHe also designed an ornamental roof garden and fountain surmounted by Leda and the Swan for the penthouse suite.  In 1956 Messel returned to the Dorchester Hotel, creating interior designs for the Pavilion Room. The designs for this room were inspired by Messel’s designs for <i>The Magic Flute</i> (1947).  The Oliver Messel Suite was restored in 1981 by the Dorchester Hotel; the original fabrics were replaced with Fortuny fabrics.\r\nLord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts.  The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan.  The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.\n\nHistorical significance: Messel's most well known interior design and his largest decorative commission in London.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Model by Oliver Messel for the interior of the Dorchester Hotel Penthouse and roof garden, 1953.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <i>Oliver Messel</i>, London, V&A, 1983","id":"AUTH353280"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Model","id":"THES48867"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.227-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"227","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 8877:1"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2006-07-31","availableToBook":true}}