Image: James W Copeland | Shutterstock.com
Hotels in converted historic buildings are an attraction in their own right, much more than simply being a place to stay. They can offer guests a chance to experience the setting of a bygone era, only with the addition of more modern luxuries.
Yet developers face a balancing act. Not only do they have to make sure that their designs adhere to the latest building regulations, they also have to satisfy requirements from heritage organisations to preserve certain historical features. Historic England plays a key role in this process, scrutinising plans and raising concerns when necessary. It is a non-departmental public body that is sponsored by the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“Historic England can help an owner understand why a building is special and how best to accommodate a new hotel use. We encourage the special interest of a building to be understood from the very beginning of a project – a qualified heritage consultant can do this for you,” explains Rachel Fletcher, assistant inspector of historic buildings and areas at Historic England. “We can then work with you and your conservation-accredited architect to ensure the character and history of the building is both celebrated and protected.”
As almost every project is different and has its own quirks, the key is in careful planning.
“It involves clever ways of getting around things, a bit of ingenuity and occasionally some lateral thinking. In other words, you avoid a problem by moving it to somewhere you can solve it,” says Richard Griffiths, director of Richard Griffiths Architects (RGA), which specialises in old buildings and worked on redeveloping St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
“If you can get all of the practical things right, it has a capacity to be far more engaging for people than probably many new buildings do. So, the motivation for me is both revealing the quality of what was there historically and making it work for today and tomorrow,” adds Griffiths.
Mark Vines is project architect at Acanthus Holden. According to him, one of the biggest challenges with converting historic buildings is managing both the aspirations of client and the requirements from heritage organisations.
“They don’t always match,” he says. “Like working on any building, you have to accept that there are going to be challenges.”
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Image courtesy of Daniil Vnoutchkov
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
London’s St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is perhaps one of the best known cases of converting a historic building into modern accommodation.
The building is instantly recognisable for its distinctive gothic towers and turrets. Given how sought after space for development is in the UK capital these days, it is hard to believe that large sections of the building were left practically vacant for more almost 80 years.
Originally opened in 1873, the Midland Grand Hotel, as it was originally known, closed in 1935. What saved it from being demolished was receiving Grade I listed status in 1967 thanks to a campaign led by Sir John Betjeman and Jane Hughes Fawcett.
Although certain sections of the building were used as offices by British Rail until the 1980s, much of it had fallen into a state of disrepair and the structure was a shadow of its former self.
Discussions about redevelopment had been taking place around the mid-1990s. Things started moving when it was announced that St Pancras would become an international rail station, replacing Waterloo as the terminal for Eurostar trains. Planning permission for the hotel redevelopment was granted in 2004.
“It’s a sort of subterfuge, but it’s one that works very well. ”
Renovating the building had its difficulties, with one being that the original hotel only had eight bathrooms. The building also needed to be updated in accordance with the latest fire and safety regulations.
Richard Griffiths Architects designed the public areas and the new wing of the hotel, which was not exactly straightforward.
“The new wing was 170 extra new standard specification hotel bedrooms, double-banked on the corridor. And that was going to produce a building, which was effectively a seven-storey building running along the side of the station. Historic England was extremely unhappy about that and they made the developer spend about a year proving the economic necessity in order to justify having a new wing at all,” explains Griffiths.
“When we took over the design, we found a way of effectively turning a seven-storey building into a three-storey building by taking off a floor from the building and putting it in new mezzanine on the street frontage, which didn’t previously exist. And then we put two storeys in the roof, which was another two storeys lost. And we also had double height arches, which were the scale of Gilbert Scott’s on the Midland Road frontage, which have got two levels of rooms in them. So, it’s a sort of subterfuge, but it’s one that works very well. And they were very happy with it.
“That’s an example of what I would call using some of the clues from the original building to find a way around a modern problem and make it work both functionally, but also visually and historically for Listed building consent.”
Redevelopment is all the more remarkable considering that it was achieved without any public subsidy. The 207-room hotel reopened in 2011 and is owned by Manhattan Loft Corporation and operated by Marriott.
UK heritage structures
The UK has a rich architectural history, from Victorian warehouses to medieval castles. Many are still standing, some hundreds of years after they were built.
While London is famous for its historic buildings, there are a number of other heritage structures around the UK that have been converted into hotels.
Retreats Group runs three luxury hotels that were all converted from historic buildings near St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Acanthus Holden Architects worked on the hotel designs.
The buildings include a windmill built in 1806, now known as Twr y Felin Hotel; and Penrhiw Priory, a former vicarage built in 1884 that opened as a hotel in 2012.
“Although all aspects of the fabric are listed and cannot be altered, we did have some freedom in the rebuilding. ”
Yet the group’s oldest building that’s been converted into a hotel is Roch Castle, built around 1180 and a Grade I listed ancient monument. Its heritage is a fundamental part of the guest experience.
“On arrival, we greet each guest at their car to assist with luggage and direct them into the entrance hallway. We do not have a traditional reception desk, but instead provide a full tour and history of the building before checking guests into their rooms, which allows us to ensure that they feel truly at home for their stay. We also offer personalised tours for art, history, nature and archaeology with an experienced knowledgeable guide,” says Verity George-White, Retreats Group acting marketing and events manager.
“Although all aspects of the fabric are listed and cannot be altered, we did have some freedom in the rebuilding. The historical footprint is intact, ensuring the feel of a real castle; whilst the luxurious contemporary interiors guarantee the highest level of modern comfort.”
Roch Castle in Pembrokeshire. Image courtesy of Retreats Group
Long-term preservation
Hybrid accommoda-tion
Converting a historic building into a hotel also allows the structure to generate revenue to pay for its upkeep and aid the long-term preservation.
“Owners and managers gain competitive advantage from being able to offer the special experience of staying in buildings that are rich in history and character. And of course, hotels can be an excellent way to secure the economic future of important, large buildings,” adds Rachel Fletcher from Historic England.
In addition, guests are more likely to have a memorable stay due to the unique setting.
“The appeal of having a different experience rather than a ‘cookie cutter’ hotel stay will likely attract guests and this may help the hotel develop more of a connection with its guests over time,” says Dr Maeve Marmion, head of department in experience economy at Chester Business School.
“managers gain competitive advantage from being able to offer the special experience. ”
“There may even be an appeal of something more to ‘write home about’ or more likely to share online with peers and loved ones and this can possibly be a driver for future demand.”
However, according to architect Mark Vines, future developments could suffer due to a drop in heritage funding. “It’s not getting any easier,” he says.
Although provided that funds are available, the right combination of historical buildings and modern luxuries has been proven to bring in business.
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Cover image credit: Hilton Hotels and Resorts
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Renovation
High-standard facades to the core
Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) give designers and architects a versatile and resilient facade solution, but care must be taken to ensure that high standards are applied. Angelos Zografos, technical sales engineer at Elval Colour, explains the quality considerations that go into the production of ACPs and why manufacturers should make the welfare of employees and the environment a priority.
Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) offer architects a supreme and versatile material for building facades. The panels demonstrate a rigidity that is often not available in solid metal surfaces, and this prevents the material from deforming due to local buckling, a result known as oil canning. This provides an extremely flat surface onto which high-specification liquid coil coatings can be applied, allowing the panels to resist oxidisation and degradation even in extreme environments. At the same time, a limitless variety of colour coatings enables greater flexibility and freedom in aesthetic design, an important parameter for materials used in the hospitality sector. In addition, ACPs are lighter than alternative materials, such as solid aluminium; this makes them ideal for renovating existing facilities as it allows a visual and functional upgrade of the facade without requiring major modifications of the existing structure.
Furthermore, when produced with a core of special composition, it can also be fire-retardant or even incombustible. This attribute is of paramount importance in today’s world, where fire safety becomes more important every day – particularly for facilities of high occupancy or visitation, such as hotels, schools or hospitals. However, the complex process for the production of ACPs means that strict attention must be paid to ensure quality is maintained.
This is a key priority for the aluminium coil coater and ACP producer Elval Colour, which offers three varieties of ACPs: etalbond, etalbond FR (fire-retardant) and etalbond A2 (incombustible). Elval Colour opts for manufacturing at the highest possible level. “The most important factor is to be consistent through the whole year, with no deviations regarding our production quality,” emphasises Angelos Zografos. He adds that the company’s practice in coil coating and producing ACPs is certified and rigorously audited by independent certification bodies and demonstrates a long record of reliability.
Quality production
ACPs are comprised of a lightweight organic core with mineral fillers and two coil-coated aluminium sheets, between which the core is sandwiched and bonded with adhesive. Aluminium oxidises, therefore it needs to be treated accordingly; the process of rolling, which is the transformation of an aluminium slab into a coil, results in oxidisation as well as contamination of the aluminium surface from the lubricants and other agents that are used to facilitate the procedure. Thus, it is a key step to clean the aluminium surface by chemically treating it with a combination of alkaline and acidic washing to remove the smut and any oxides from it. After that, a passivation layer is applied, which restricts future oxidisation of the surface and is polarised enough to bond with the coating that is added next. This pretreatment is vital: if omitted or done incorrectly, it will allow reactivity of the surface, which leads to corrosion. “This kind of pretreatment is not done in some cases,” says Zografos. “This creates the basis for the future oxidisation of the aluminium substrate.”
Finally, the coating is applied; it is typically a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating that provides protection against the elements and gives the aesthetic qualities of ACPs. However, the quality of this coating can vary. The normal composition is 70% PVDF and 30% acrylic, but as Zografos adds, “If the PVDF content goes lower, the quality and the cost drop dramatically.” The coatings used by Elval Colour have an 80% PVDF content and contain no hazardous substances, such as lead, chrome or isophorone.
Additionally, as hospitality establishments can often be located in areas with conditions that are aggressive for coatings – such as next to the sea or in an area with increased UV radiation – a more advanced coating solution might have to be applied to the ACPs, which could mean more layers or even different technology. The details of that coating solution have to be agreed along with the client as they will support the warranty that will accompany the material, and it will protect the image and the value of the facility in the long run. Badly defined warranties and unsuitable coating solutions can undermine the quality and value of the project.
This commitment to quality extends to the behaviour of ACPs against fire. Elval Colour’s etalbond A2 is classified as A2-s1,d0 according to the European standard EN 13501-1 and will not contribute to a fire, making it an ideal facade solution for tall buildings and high-occupancy facilities, such as hotels or convention centres. In addition, the panels will not emit toxic chemicals when exposed to the fire, which could harm occupants.
Furthermore, hydroxides found in the core give it fire-retardant properties by evaporating when heated, causing an endothermic reaction and a reduction in temperature. “You have a similar performance as the solid material, which cannot catch fire,” Zografos states. “The industry saw that there was a need for improvement, to move forward and advance from the standard that was available several years ago with the plastic core.”
Sustainable and safe
Elval Colour is strongly committed to sustainability. “You might have really beautiful and useful products, but, as an architect, you should not only see what lies in front of you, but you should also care about what is happening backstage,” Zografos explains. “The production of building materials is strongly connected to the environment, so we have to be careful what we release and how.” Elval Colour uses an afterburner and thermal oxidisers in its coating process, which burn all the solvents that evaporate from the coating. This process not only prevents harmful volatile organic compounds from being released into the atmosphere but also redirects the generated heat back in the furnace, which cures the coatings, therefore saving energy and making the liquid coating process even more environmentally friendly. Water used in the process is entirely reused, and the product – etalbond ACP – is fully recyclable.
Zografos also stresses that a good working environment plays a key role in ensuring a high-quality product. “A safe working environment will add to the quality of the product because people are a crucial factor in the whole production chain,” he says. The focus on this principle is evident from Elval Colour’s OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety.
All these factors lead to the creation of a product that fulfils the highest specifications and is also suitable for a wide range of environments and architectural needs. Continuous and close collaboration with architects and designers throughout the years allows Elval Colour to maintain a profound understanding of market needs and thus, if the need arises, be able to produce tailor-made solutions with a high level of customisation.
In Tenerife, Spain, the facade of the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel consists of 16,000m² of etalbond acp in 16 different colours, specially customised to withstand the harsh environmental effects, such as salt water and rain, resulting from the buildings proximity to the sea. Zografos concludes that, “The hospitality sector can benefit from the versatility of the personalised solutions that we offer and the value we add to their services through products of quality, like etalbond.”
Contact us
High-standard facades to the core
Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) give designers and architects a versatile and resilient facade solution, but care must be taken to ensure that high standards are applied. Angelos Zografos, technical sales engineer at Elval Colour, explains the quality considerations that go into the production of ACPs and why manufacturers should make the welfare of employees and the environment a priority.
Aluminium composite panels (ACPs) offer architects a supreme and versatile material for building facades. The panels demonstrate a rigidity that is often not available in solid metal surfaces, and this prevents the material from deforming due to local buckling, a result known as oil canning. This provides an extremely flat surface onto which high-specification liquid coil coatings can be applied, allowing the panels to resist oxidisation and degradation even in extreme environments. At the same time, a limitless variety of colour coatings enables greater flexibility and freedom in aesthetic design, an important parameter for materials used in the hospitality sector. In addition, ACPs are lighter than alternative materials, such as solid aluminium; this makes them ideal for renovating existing facilities as it allows a visual and functional upgrade of the facade without requiring major modifications of the existing structure.
Furthermore, when produced with a core of special composition, it can also be fire-retardant or even incombustible. This attribute is of paramount importance in today’s world, where fire safety becomes more important every day – particularly for facilities of high occupancy or visitation, such as hotels, schools or hospitals. However, the complex process for the production of ACPs means that strict attention must be paid to ensure quality is maintained.
This is a key priority for the aluminium coil coater and ACP producer Elval Colour, which offers three varieties of ACPs: etalbond, etalbond FR (fire-retardant) and etalbond A2 (incombustible). Elval Colour opts for manufacturing at the highest possible level. “The most important factor is to be consistent through the whole year, with no deviations regarding our production quality,” emphasises Angelos Zografos. He adds that the company’s practice in coil coating and producing ACPs is certified and rigorously audited by independent certification bodies and demonstrates a long record of reliability.
Quality production
ACPs are comprised of a lightweight organic core with mineral fillers and two coil-coated aluminium sheets, between which the core is sandwiched and bonded with adhesive. Aluminium oxidises, therefore it needs to be treated accordingly; the process of rolling, which is the transformation of an aluminium slab into a coil, results in oxidisation as well as contamination of the aluminium surface from the lubricants and other agents that are used to facilitate the procedure. Thus, it is a key step to clean the aluminium surface by chemically treating it with a combination of alkaline and acidic washing to remove the smut and any oxides from it. After that, a passivation layer is applied, which restricts future oxidisation of the surface and is polarised enough to bond with the coating that is added next. This pretreatment is vital: if
omitted or done incorrectly, it will allow reactivity of the surface, which leads to corrosion. “This kind of pretreatment is not done in some cases,” says Zografos. “This creates the basis for the future oxidisation of the aluminium substrate.”
Finally, the coating is applied; it is typically a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating that provides protection against the elements and gives the aesthetic qualities of ACPs. However, the quality of this coating can vary. The normal composition is 70% PVDF and 30% acrylic, but as Zografos adds, “If the PVDF content goes lower, the quality and the cost drop dramatically.” The coatings used by Elval Colour have an 80% PVDF content and contain no hazardous substances, such as lead, chrome or isophorone.
Additionally, as hospitality establishments can often be located in areas with conditions that are aggressive for coatings – such as next to the sea or in an area with increased UV radiation – a more advanced coating solution might have to be applied to the ACPs, which could mean more layers or even different technology. The details of that coating solution have to be agreed along with the client as they will support the warranty that will accompany the material, and it will protect the image and the value of the facility in the long run. Badly defined warranties and unsuitable coating solutions can undermine the quality and value of the project.
This commitment to quality extends to the behaviour of ACPs against fire. Elval Colour’s etalbond A2 is classified as A2-s1,d0 according to the European standard EN 13501-1 and will not contribute to a fire, making it an ideal facade solution for tall buildings and high-occupancy facilities, such as hotels or convention centres. In addition, the panels will not emit toxic chemicals when exposed to the fire, which could harm occupants.
Furthermore, hydroxides found in the core give it fire-retardant properties by evaporating when heated, causing an endothermic reaction and a reduction in temperature. “You have a similar performance as the solid material, which cannot catch fire,” Zografos states. “The industry saw that there was a need for improvement, to move forward and advance from the standard that was available several years ago with the plastic core.”
Sustainable and safe
Elval Colour is strongly committed to sustainability. “You might have really beautiful and useful products, but, as an architect, you should not only see what lies in front of you, but you should also care about what is happening backstage,” Zografos explains. “The production of building materials is strongly connected to the environment, so we have to be careful what we release and how.” Elval Colour uses an afterburner and thermal oxidisers in its coating process, which burn all the solvents that evaporate from the coating. This process not only prevents harmful volatile organic compounds from being released into the atmosphere but also redirects the generated heat back in the furnace, which cures the coatings, therefore saving energy and making the liquid coating process even more environmentally friendly. Water used in the process is entirely reused, and the product – etalbond ACP – is fully recyclable.
Zografos also stresses that a good working environment plays a key role in ensuring a high-quality product. “A safe working environment will add to the quality of the product because people are a crucial factor in the whole production chain,” he says. The focus on this principle is evident from Elval Colour’s OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety.
All these factors lead to the creation of a product that fulfils the highest specifications and is also suitable for a wide range of environments and architectural needs. Continuous and close collaboration with architects and designers throughout the years allows Elval Colour to maintain a profound understanding of market needs and thus, if the need arises, be able to produce tailor-made solutions with a high level of customisation.
In Tenerife, Spain, the facade of the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel consists of 16,000m² of etalbond acp in 16 different colours, specially customised to withstand the harsh environmental effects, such as salt water and rain, resulting from the buildings proximity to the sea. Zografos concludes that, “The hospitality sector can benefit from the versatility of the personalised solutions that we offer and the value we add to their services through products of quality, like etalbond.”