UK: Architecture and design firm Studio Moren has received planning consent for a Grade II-listed boutique townhouse hotel in Bloomsbury, London.
The building, located at 4-6 Bedford Place, will be transformed from three Georgian terraced houses into a 43-room luxury hotel. It will comprise a reception space, bar and lounge, and a variety of room sizes such as standard, suite and accessible.
Studio Moren is both architecture and interior designer for the project, and will retain, restore and conserve the listed building, as well as add three closet wings to the rear in order to extend the accommodation. Work is being carried out in partnership with investor and developer SAV Group.
Rachael Reid, senior interior designer, Studio Moren, said: “We are mindful of preserving history while creating a space that fits seamlessly into the modern world. Guests will feel as though they are peering through a looking glass at a piece of the past.”
Angela Franco, architect project lead, Studio Moren, added: “It is so important in a dense, built-up city such as London to be able to reuse buildings and bring an area back to life. SAV Group specialises in taking existing buildings and bringing them up to modern standards, which makes working alongside them not only interesting, but rewarding.
“In planning to revitalise this property we first assessed what was important, before arranging to remove what was not, while protecting and replacing historic features. Additional, functional elements fundamental to the workings of a modern hotel, such as en suite bathrooms, will be added in a juxtaposing lightweight, reversible design style, with the intention not to clash or detract from the original authenticity of the building, but to play with it and create something modern.”