Archer Humphryes Architects Unveils Upstairs at Ronnie’s in Soho

London-based Archer Humphryes Architects, founded by David Archer and Julie Humphryes, has reopened Upstairs at Ronnie’s above Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho in February 2026. The practice, known for hospitality and adaptive reuse projects like Chiltern Firehouse and The Standard, London, designed the interiors to respond to the intimacy of live jazz. Archer studied under Peter Cook at the Bartlett School of Architecture, where he was influenced by Alvin Boyarsky’s studio program and figures like Peter Salter, Zaha Hadid, and Will Allsop. He later worked with André Balazs in New York, learning to commission multiple creative teams on single projects, exemplified by the New York Standard hotel. The firm’s approach balances historic preservation with contemporary intervention, as seen at Penderyn Llandudno Distillery where a Grade II Listed Board School was adapted. Archer emphasizes collaboration across disciplines and with clients, and designs for shifting moods—bars that work from morning coffee to late-night revelry. His academic research into Nicholas Hawksmoor, James Stirling, and Brutalism informs the practice’s geometric and material choices. The studio frequently reinhabits historic buildings, aiming for BREEAM Excellent while avoiding imposing past values on modern users.