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
Charles Halvieim and his fellow BTP Board members are focused on building for the future. “It’s never been more important for us to provide added value. We do, and that’s what sets us apart. We deliver the services and safeguards that investors and banks like to see before releasing funds for important projects”.
Halvieim has taken the initiative by creating a strategic blueprint to help BTP raise the bar even further when it comes to quality, integrity and value. At the end of last year he commissioned a strategic review of the business. “It was apparent that 40 years of service to the industry and a world class team gave BTP (formerly known as the Barrie Tankel Partnership) a distinct edge, but we also identified scope for improvement. We’re now looking at a major upgrade to our technical infrastructure, and are recruiting the best new talent in the industry.”
Last month Mike Goldwater was appointed BTP Head of Communications, and the latest recruit to join the growing team at BTP is quantity surveyor Moya Maginn. From Northern Ireland and with a First Class Honours Degree from the University of Ulster, Maginn has already gained invaluable international experience working in Malta and the Middle East. Highlights of her time in Dubai include her involvement in a £140million 64-storey residential project and her work on a £135 million print plant project.
With many more exciting prospects in the pipeline, Halvieim is delighted to welcome Goldwater and Maginn to the team, and aims to increase the headcount at BTP by a further 20% before the end of the year.
Bethnal Green Town Hall, the RIBA and RICS multi-award winning project has been featured in the latest issue of Premier Construction Magazine. BTP Director Charles Halvieim is quoted in the article as saying “Our role included agreeing on the strategy and putting forward the planning application, working out what was required and what professionals were needed to be brought into place from day one to ensure that the project was successful.”
http://www.premierconstructionmagazine.co.uk/magpageflip/premier16-4.html
