The initial stages of this 112 room project in central London were designed by another architect. Fletcher-Rae were brought in to deliver stages 4 and 5 in conjunction with the client team.

There were however a number of fundamental issues concerning adjoining buildings, fire strategy and operational requirements that required our attention in resolving. Close liaison with the end user, Yotel, was paramount in fine tuning the design to ensure a true ‘turn key’ solution was achieved.

The early stages of construction required initial checking of the site boundaries and fine tuning of the plans as the site was bounded on three sides by existing buildings and a main road frontage on the fourth. The adjoining buildings were a mix of heights, roof step backs, drainage outlets etc that all needed specific attention that could not be fully appreciated prior to the commencement of construction works.

The form of the design is two linear wings with a triangular central atrium. Extending to seven storeys above two levels of basement, packing an immense amount of accommodation into a tight footprint.

In addition to the 112 hotel rooms, the development incorporated 5 private 2 bed apartments which required a separate dedicated entrance. There were also 2 separate retail units included at ground and -1 basement level. Incorporation of suitable plant space and refuse storage areas were a challenge for the multiple uses contained within the development.

The site location and aspirations of Islington Borough Council added pressure with the insistence on the facing brickwork being detailed in English Garden Wall bond, as used in numerous other developments around the area. With the slim façade piers that had multiple steps for façade modelling purposes, this was an unusual aspect that required considerable thought in achieving a staggered bond with very short runs of brickwork. The glazed bricks required a fair proportion of special bricks with more than one face having the glazed finish.