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CHALLENGE
The project required delivering a large new hotel in one of London’s most sensitive and coherent historic areas, close to Apsley House and Wellington Arch. It involved replacing two post-war office buildings with a building of significantly greater scale. This set the stage for a complex task: how do you introduce a large new structure into a highly protected setting without undermining its character?
SOLUTION
To address this, we took a collaborative, design-led approach and worked closely with Hopkins Architects. Together, we assessed the scheme’s impact on surrounding heritage assets and key views, including those from Piccadilly, Buckingham Palace, and Hyde Park. Alongside this analysis, we helped shape the architectural approach by developing a clear composition of base, middle, and top, rooted in classical principles but expressed through modern construction. This ensured the design was robust enough to withstand detailed scrutiny throughout the planning process.
RESULTS
The project was approved within six months of submission and has since been completed. It demonstrates that a carefully considered design can sit confidently within a sensitive historic context while delivering a building of significant scale and presence.