Ruth Bloomfield in The Times (Bricks & Mortar 7 Oct) describes the latest BTP project in glowing terms. Designed by Dandi Living, the former Hampstead home of portrait painter Philip de Laszlo and two adjacent properties have been converted into 18 spacious luxury lateral apartments. Quantity surveying and Project Management was undertaken by Magnus Collard, BTP Associate Director.
Writing in the Homes & Property section of the Evening Standard, David Spittles recounts that when it was first laid out, Fitzjohn’s Avenue was described by Harpers Magazine as “one of the noblest streets in the world”. Click here for the full article.
The transformation of the dilapidated former Bethnal Green Town Hall into a luxury hotel complex took the Project of the Year accolade at the RICS London Awards, held at Kew Gardens.
The winning restoration project, which also won the Building Conservation category, challenged Rare Architecture to produce a modern, up-market hotel, which meant facing a number of specific challenges and the ‘unknowns’ of a historic and neglected building. In the opinion of the RICS London judges, all of these have been met and satisfactorily overcome.
The refurbishment of particular areas of the building required the intervention of highly specialised trades and special approval under the conditions of the Listed Building Consent. The works demonstrate a high degree of skill in restoring and repairing all areas to fulfil their function, but without fully refurbishing to a `brand new’ look.
The judges were impressed by the major conservation achievements of this project in that it preserves all the feature rooms and areas in their original state, while expertly converting them to a present-day function. They were also enthused by the visually uncompromisingly modern additions at roof level and to the rear elevations which they felt enhance and complement the restored existing structures.
“This project demonstrates a degree of sympathy and sensitivity towards the fabric and concept of the original building which is rarely found, but which is borne out by the evident commercial success of the hotel complex.”
Barry Woodman, Chairman of RICS Awards London Region Judges
http://www.rics.org/site/scripts/news_article.aspx?categoryID=478&newsID=2222
This is a project of great luxury and invention. The old Bethnal Green Town Hall has been ravishingly transformed into a mix of hotel, serviced apartments, conference spaces, bar and restaurant. There is another worldliness to the whole ensemble; different genres and elements drift past one another in a kind of architectural reverie. The historic marble, timber-lined and plaster interiors have been joined by a host of bespoke elements from entire bedroom and bathroom assemblies that appear like spectre white modernist stage sets that have somehow slipped into an Edwardian theatre.
Externally, two hugely dissimilar architectural languages – that of the existing and that of the new in the shape of the prismatic perforated wrapping of the new roof and back court – seem perfectly at ease with one another.
http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAAwards/Winners2011/London
