An application for planning permission for the development, by Grosvenor with Corbin & King Hotels, of 8 Balderton Street in Mayfair into a luxury, bespoke hotel, has been approved by Westminster Planning Committee. Grosvenor is to undertake the development of the grade II listed building. It is intended that CKHL will manage the hotel.The Art Deco style building is currently occupied by Avis Rent-A-Car. Originally built as a garage, the building was designed by Wimperis & Simpson in 1926 and overlooks Brown Hart Gardens and King’s Weighhouse Chapel beyond. The planning application proposes 75 bedrooms & suites; public areas including a restaurant, and lobby bar/salon; a small private dining/meeting room and a spa. The plans adapt the existing fabric of the building, including the principal elevations. A comprehensive consultation process was undertaken with local residents, Westminster City Council, English Heritage and other stakeholder groups.
Sarah-Jane Curtis, Retail Investment Director at Grosvenor stated:“We are delighted to have secured planning consent for this landmark building, and we are in detailed discussions with Chris Corbin and Jeremy King as partners for the investment in this project.”
Jeremy King, Director Corbin & King Hotels added:
“We look forward to working with Grosvenor on this exciting project. As restaurateurs and hoteliers our entire philosophy revolves around the quality of the visitor experience. Our vision for 8 Balderton Street is determined by the desire to provide excellence in service, value for money and quality of accommodation.”
Once construction starts, the development will take 18-20 months with the aim being to open early in 2013. Artist Antony Gormley has been approached to develop public art which is integral to the scheme in the form of an inhabitable sculpture to be used as a guestroom.
King continued:
“We believe that the art element will be symbiotic with the scheme rather than purely a decorative addition. This work by Antony Gormley is an exciting integration of a sculpture within the functions of the hotel, while providing a new landmark. The design has been developed so a unique guestroom can be accommodated within it. We have worked closely with ReardonSmith, the UK’s leading specialist Hotel Architect, in the search for an appropriate hotel site, while top planning consultants Gerald Eve have been instrumental in securing planning permission”
