The site for a new £90 million hospitality hub in Croydon, developed by LHG (London Hotel Group) and designed by award-winning hotel architects Dexter Moren Associates, was included as one of the strategic projects in a study tour organised by New London Architecture.
Local stakeholders, including council representatives, occupiers, developers and investors, enjoyed a walking tour of the Growth Zone in Croydon and were offered an insight into how this major investment by LHG will act as a catalyst for regeneration of the area.
Located at 585-603 London Road, the new hospitality hub features high-quality contemporary design that is both striking and responsive to its neighbourhood. Framing elements, balconies and setbacks at top floors have been introduced to provide architectural articulation to each block, whilst a varied roofscape reflects the rhythm of the Victorian properties in the area.
The architectural design has been dovetailed with the landscape strategy to provide spaces of a human scale that will improve the experience of guests as well as local residents. The public realm will be further enhanced by a new landscaped public piazza and will bring about a significant improvement to London Road.
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Project Team
Client and Developer: LHG (London Hotel Group)
Architect: Dexter Moren Associates – project architect: Javier Ortega; project director: Herbert Lui
Planning Consultants: Bilfinger GVA
Transport Consultant: Steer Davies Gleave
Energy and Sustainability: XCO2 Energy
Landscape Architect: Outerspace
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment: RSK
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Herbert Lui, Project Director, Dexter Moren Associates: “Looking back at the first sketch, it has been an exciting journey with LHG and the design team to arrive at a planning-consented scheme that we are really proud of. The architecture is bold, punchy and complementary to the urban scale and context. We are also pleased with the public realm spaces that create a socially inclusive and inviting setting along London Road.”
The first of the Mayor’s Growth Zones, the London Borough of Croydon is currently experiencing £350 million worth of investment and its burgeoning reputation as a tech hub has recently seen the Borough identified as the UK’s fastest growing economy. The scheme will not only provide high-quality guest accommodation currently lacking in the area but also bring about an improvement to the townscape on this stretch of London Road, re-energising the corridor between Thornton Heath and Central Croydon.
The scheme will involve the demolition of three existing hotels – the Ibis Styles, Gilroy Court Hotel and Croydon Court Hotel, with a combined total of 256 rooms – to be replaced by a four and five-storey 435-room hotel and 158-room aparthotel with dining, conference and leisure facilities.
The proposed masterplan for the scheme by Dexter Moren was positively received by local residents and was granted unanimous approval by the local council in May 2017. Construction of the new hospitality hub will commence in the second quarter of 2018.
