Royal Lancaster London
This 5-star hotel occupies a prominent corner plot next to Hyde Park and offers breath-taking views of the famous London skyline. Following an extensive renovation to the main entrance and interior, this commanding mid-century iconic building stands proudly as one of London’s leading independent hotels and largest banqueting venues in Europe.
Lancaster Hotel
Architect
Neil Mathews Architects
Contractor
S&T Interiors
Quantity Surveyor
Cumming Europe
With the clients brief clear, Neil Mathews Architects designed a stunning new main entrance to showcase the building and lift the hotel from the previous 4-star to the desired 5-star rating.
Our involvement in the scheme was to engineer and design a curved curtain wall screen, with integral canopy that frames a projected reception area.
Having gone through several design revisions to maximise the value for the client, the final scheme was approved and detailed design underway. Working with S&T Interiors we assisted in working up the detailing to ensure that the buildability sequence and interfacing with the structure and stone was understood.
A faceted primary steel frame was installed as the base line structure for the curtain wall. At ground floor level, the glazing is curved with a full length canopy that penetrates the weather line. Above this, the curtain walling is faceted and projects at the roof line beyond the structure to mask the front of a plant room. Integral expanded mesh was glazed into the curtain wall at plant level to hide the louvre line and large projecting external fins created a feature that runs around the stone reveal.
Adjacent to the main entrance, punch hole unitised glazing modules in polished stainless steel finish were designed to match the existing glazing.
A double height atrium space within the reception was capped off by a large structural glass rooflight that gives a dramatic vista when entering the building, coupled with a palatial sweeping staircase made from white Carrara marble that wraps around to the first floor.
The end result is visually stunning and fitting for the clients aspirations, and restored the hotel’s status as one of the most stylish in the capital.
