Client: Triangle Hospitality

Location: Southampton Row, London

Status: Complete

Overview

The structure of the building was in a state of disarray. A whole structural strategy was designed to retain facades, strengthen the floors and generally keep the building standing before new interventions were made. Specialist structure was added to support the existing listed interior mouldings. Two stories were to the existing building stepping them back and following the existing tapering roof- line. A ‘back of house’ core was inserted down through the built fabric without damaging the flow of the original plans.

Balanced against the building’s high heritage significance was the extensive damage it endured over decades, resulting for extended periods of vacancy, ad hoc alterations and vandalism, in addition to a general absence of maintenance. This and the building’s redundancy, resulted in it being placed on English Heritage’s Register of Buildings at Risk. Over a period of 12 years we brought this dilapidated building back to its former glory and created a 40-bedroom luxury hotel.

Originally intended as a very light refurbishment with an ‘objet trouve’ approach to the interiors, the approach altered with the appointment of Jacques Garcia as Interior Designer. This demanded the whole scale refurbishment and rationalisation of the plan to accommodate a 5 star hotel use.