Manchester City Council has appointed a team led by LDA Design to develop plans to create a fantastic city area centred around Piccadilly Gardens. The LDA Design-led team was selected in an international competition based on initial concept designs. The other teams on the shortlist were led by West8, Planit-IE, and Studio
The latest plans have been approved for the new 12,500 capacity international grade Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC), located in the heart of Gateshead on the banks of the River Tyne. On Wednesday 12th July 2023, Gateshead Council’s planning committee granted permission for revised plans for the ICC
Cardiff City Council has approved a number of necessary steps for the construction of a new 15,000-seater arena in the city. The council’s cabinet approved the recommendations to sign a range of legal agreements at its meeting on 13 July, so that both the indoor arena and the regeneration of
SJ Roberts Construction has handed over the first 50 of 80 luxury holiday lodges to Bluestone National Park Resort marking the early completion of the first phase of the resort’s £24m investment programme. The remaining lodges, all being delivered by SJ Roberts, are due for completion by October of this
New-look club will relaunch in Q1 2024 David Lloyd Leisure, the UK’s largest health, fitness and wellness group, has announced that its Fulham club will soon undergo a major transformation, with £6.5 million to be invested in extensive works over the coming months. Set to reopen in the first quarter
Works to excavate 22-acres of the Liverpool Festival Gardens site are nearing completion after two years. The derelict land had not been touched in 25 years before remediation work began on the area. More than 380,000 cubic metres of soil and waste has been removed as part of the project,
Sheffield City Council has announced a £117 million investment package for the city’s leisure and entertainment facilities. The plans include rebuilds of some of the city’s most popular leisure centres, improvements to Sheffield Arena and the City Hall. Springs, Concord and Hillsborough Leisure Centres have all been selected for rebuilds.
Work has completed on EFL Championship team Queens Park Rangers’ new state-of-the-art training ground, set to accommodate the club’s first team, under 23s and academy squads form the coming season. The advanced new facility has been designed by Studio Zoppini Architects and delivered by an expert project team including, global
Hotel fitout specialist, Polcom Furniture by Volumetric Building Companies, has delivered its 15th contract for Whitbread’s hub by Premier Inn hotel brand. This latest project for main contractor Gilbert Ash was to manufacture and install the guest room furniture for the new hub by Premier Inn hotel in Clerkenwell, London.
Russell WBHO has been appointed to build a new nine-storey hotel in Gateshead. The contract was awarded by real estate company Ask:PATRIZIA to construct the 344 bedroom, 180,898 sq ft, dual branded hotel. Planning permission for the project was approved by Gateshead Council in March and construction is set to
Manchester City Council has appointed a team led by LDA Design to develop plans to create a fantastic city area centred around Piccadilly Gardens. The LDA Design-led team was selected in an international competition based on initial concept designs. The other teams on the shortlist were led by West8, Planit-IE, and Studio Egret West. Next steps include the production of detailed designs, which will be shaped by the team and the people of Manchester ahead of a full planning application to be submitted next year. Working alongside LDA Design will be Arup, United Creatives, artist Nayan Kulkarni, CPTED UK, The Liminal Space, Authentic Futures and Gardiner & Theobald. Piccadilly Gardens is a historic part of the city, and thousands pass through every day as they make their way to and from Manchester’s main public transport interchange. The competition brief sought ideas for making better use of this prominent city space, creating attractive, high-quality public realm and a place where families can enjoy spending time. Piccadilly Gardens is one of the city centre’s only green spaces and the brief recognised its importance to the people of Manchester. It called for planting to encourage biodiversity and improve air quality. The overall aim is to create a special, valued, flexible place with a strong sense of identity, and one that is fully accessible and designed to promote safety with well-lit and clear sightlines. The judging panel found that LDA Design’s submission embraced and met the brief and praised elements including improved children’s play facilities and links to London Road. Mark Graham, a director at LDA Design and Manchester studio lead, said: “We’re based in the city’s Northern Quarter, and our team uses Piccadilly Gardens every day, so we take great pride in having a role in creating a new future for the space. “The city deserves a beautiful public space that showcases all that is great about Manchester and brings the city together. We want the Gardens to feel strongly Mancunian, in a very special way that delivers a lasting legacy. We can’t wait to work with the community to shape our ideas and hear what people think.” The 10-acre site covered by the competition also includes Mosley Street, Parker Street, the section of Portland Street which runs alongside Piccadilly Gardens and the section of Piccadilly which borders the Gardens. The design will retain the existing listed monuments and statues, and tramlines and infrastructure as well as the existing Pavilion structure. Manchester City Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “People have strong views about Piccadilly Gardens and serious work is continuing to realise its potential as an outstanding, welcoming public space – somewhere people want to linger, not just pass through. Today is about appointing the experts who will help produce a plan that will take the views of Mancunians very much into account.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest plans have been approved for the new 12,500 capacity international grade Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC), located in the heart of Gateshead on the banks of the River Tyne. On Wednesday 12th July 2023, Gateshead Council’s planning committee granted permission for revised plans for the ICC and Arena, as well as an urban park, which will enhance biodiversity in the area and provide both pedestrian link and lift access from South Shore Road and the Millennium Bridge area up to Hawks Road, Gateshead College and the recently approved hotels. Whilst the development most recently gained planning permission in March 2022, a revised planning application was submitted in March 2023 due to design and scheme changes. The dual branded 344 bed hotel has been relocated to vacant land within Baltic Quarter, directly opposite The Sage development, and the land occupied by the hotels in the original design, will be opened up as an urban park bringing valuable green space into the area and enhancing biodiversity. Changes within the planning application also included updates to the timeline for the delivery of The Sage. A number of global factors outside the Council and its partners control have impacted, and are continuing to impact, on the development. The issues include the ongoing impact of Covid on the supply chain, inflationary pressures, energy prices and the war in Ukraine. To mitigate these impacts the developer has broken down the scheme into smaller delivery packages. Construction work is due to begin this Autumn on what forms one of the major projects for Gateshead Council and the region, the Sage International Conference Centre. Opening in 2025, the ICC includes 5,720sqm state of the art exhibition space, 2,520sqm adaptable meeting space, 17 conference rooms and a banqueting suite. A regional asset, the ICC will be the only such facility between Yorkshire and Scotland and will bring the world stage to the North East, much like the Arena and ICC sponsor, Sage Plc. There has already been very strong interest from the international conference market in hosting in Gateshead. The Sage Arena and International Conference Centre will transform the south bank of the River Tyne into one of the UK’s most dynamic visitor destinations. The impact on the visitor economy is vast, bringing an estimated 1 million+ additional visitors to the world -famous Quayside, many for overnight stays. The potential ongoing economic impact is transformational for the businesses and residents of Gateshead, with a direct investment of over £99m per annum in the local economy and an additional £70m of direct investment beyond the venue itself, particularly in the local hospitality sector. Add 2000 jobs, links to local labour and apprenticeships and the flagship project will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the surrounding area and beyond. Earlier this year, Gateshead Council secured £20m in funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The Government recognised the economic impact the development will have, how it is a vital piece in the jigsaw for increasing opportunities for residents to secure long term sustainable jobs, promoting local business, restoring civic pride in the borough and bringing millions of pounds of investment to Gateshead and the North East region. The development acts as a catalyst for £2billion of investment of multi purpose development which will be fundamental in transforming the riverside from Gateshead Quays to the Derwent Valley. Gateshead Council is working closely with the private sector to attract investment to the borough. There are multiple investment opportunities on the banks of the River Tyne and beyond, including land for up to 6,000 homes and up-to 700,000 sqm of commercial development. In June 2023, the contractor for the adjacent hotel was announced as Russell WBHO. The hotel will be located on a 0.5-acre site at the corner of Quarryfield Road and Hawks Road, accommodating future visitors to The Sage International Conference Centre and Arena, as well as supporting the wider region. The planning application for the 180,898 sq ft, nine storey hotel was approved by Gateshead Council in March 23 and Russell WBHO is planning to commence work on the two year build programme before the end of the year. Designed by AHR Architects, the hotel will feature restaurants, bars and business meeting rooms as well as a gym and will be managed by Vine Hotels. The hotel is expected to create 75 full time hospitality jobs with an additional 40 new roles across the regional supply chain. The hotel will have the ability to accommodate 210,000 visitor nights per year, contributing an estimated £13m annual contribution being made to the local economy. It is estimated that the Sage development will provide over 2000 jobs, and the companies running the buildings will engage positively to employ local people with Working Gateshead – a team of trained coaches within Gateshead Council who support Gateshead residents to find a job. This will include c650 construction jobs, working with the contractors to establish a construction training village securing opportunities for local young people. It is also estimated there will be 300 jobs throughout the wider supply chain. Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: ‘‘Today marks another major milestone in the project and we’re looking forward to bringing the Sage Arena and ICC to Gateshead, attracting high-profile events and conferences to our region. The development will bring numerous opportunities and benefits to our residents, attracting visitors and creating jobs and bringing millions of pounds of investment to Gateshead and the North East.’’ “This is an excellent step forward. We welcome all progress on the Sage Arena and International Conference Centre (ICC). It will be such a transformational asset for our whole region, showcasing our strengths to a global audience and supporting the growth of our visitor economy.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cardiff City Council has approved a number of necessary steps for the construction of a new 15,000-seater arena in the city. The council’s cabinet approved the recommendations to sign a range of legal agreements at its meeting on 13 July, so that both the indoor arena and the regeneration of the Atlantic Wharf site can take a further step forward. The Cabinet report recommended that the Atlantic Wharf regeneration site is split into two specific areas, with one area being put out to tender to deliver a specific development and the other to undergo further market testing to attract investment interest in the project. The first area, Site A, includes the county hall and parts of its car park. There are proposals to put this land out to tender to deliver a specific development, which could include a new production and rehearsal space for the creative sector, alongside new offices, all with a shared foyer. Site B: The Atlantic Wharf site – which includes the Red Dragon Centre, the car park and Hemmingway Road is proposed to undergo further market testing, to attract further investment interest from the private sector. Commenting on the developments, Cllr Russell Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, said: “The Council is committed to transforming this historic part of Cardiff into a leading UK destination for leisure, culture and tourism, creating jobs and opportunities for local people. The Indoor Arena will significantly increase footfall in Cardiff Bay, which will benefit all existing hospitality venues as well as the new developments that will be built as part of this regeneration scheme. “There is no doubt that since the pandemic has ended, the financial climate has changed and become more challenging with an increase in the cost of building materials and increasing interest rates. Given this, the project has had to adapt to ensure that it can be delivered and is affordable, so now that the legal agreements have been approved, the project can proceed at pace, with work expected to start on site at the end of this year.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SJ Roberts Construction has handed over the first 50 of 80 luxury holiday lodges to Bluestone National Park Resort marking the early completion of the first phase of the resort’s £24m investment programme. The remaining lodges, all being delivered by SJ Roberts, are due for completion by October of this year. The platinum lodges are the resort’s most luxurious offering featuring sunrooms, a private entrance and 20% more space than the existing lodges. In keeping with resort’s eco-credentials, they’ve been constructed with the utmost respect to sustainability. SJ Roberts partnered with sister company, Lowfield Timber Frames, which supplied the high-quality sustainable timber frame kits used in the construction of the lodges, each of which is heated via air source heat pumps. Additionally, the paths which connect the lodges have been constructed utilising revolutionary nappy recycling technology – a world first.[i] The contract to deliver the luxury lodges was secured following a series of meetings and a recognition that there were significant synergies between both Bluestone and SJ Roberts. Managing Director of SJ Roberts Construction, Mike Sambrook, comments: “Bluestone and SJ Roberts share many similarities and values. We’re both family-owned businesses with strong commitments to work progressively, with a significant element in this respect being our shared assurance to develop in the most sustainable way possible. “The use of timber frame construction not only allowed us to partner with our sister company Lowfield Timber Frames, but also to deliver these luxury lodges within a condensed timeline, thereby reducing the impact to the rest of the resort and local community. Perhaps most significantly, though, is that timber is not only a renewable and carbon-neutral material, it also has the lowest CO2 impact of all building materials. It continuously absorbs CO2, reducing carbon footprint and environmental impact making it highly sustainable – a key priority for this project.” Over the duration of the contract approximately 100 local construction jobs will have been created, with many more created over the long-term by Bluestone to manage the extended facilities. Speaking of the decision to engage SJ Roberts Construction on this significant investment, Marten Lewis, Director of Sustainability at Bluestone, said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do at Bluestone, and it underpins our ‘Free Range Future’ ethos. It was, therefore, vital that we partnered with a contractor that shared these values and which could demonstrate tangible experience in sustainable construction. “The combination of SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames couldn’t have been a better option for Bluestone’s expansion. Our new platinum lodges not only exude the utmost in luxury, reflecting the quality and exemplary workmanship of the SJ Roberts team, but they do so with market-leading sustainability credentials.” Mike Sambrook concludes: “The UK’s holiday industry has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years which shows no signs of abating. However, with this comes increased consumer demand in where they stay. Bluestone has recognised this in its most recent investment, and we’ve been honoured to deliver such a prestigious project for this hugely respected operator within the sector.” [i] The ‘path project’ at Bluestone National Park Resort used 60,000 recycled disposable nappies that were cleansed before the useable fibres from the plastic were separated and used to reinforce the asphalt, replacing the traditional materials typically used. The project brought together a trio of Welsh suppliers including SJ Roberts, GD Harries (the asphalt suppliers), and NappiCycle which spearheaded the nappy recycling technology. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
New-look club will relaunch in Q1 2024 David Lloyd Leisure, the UK’s largest health, fitness and wellness group, has announced that its Fulham club will soon undergo a major transformation, with £6.5 million to be invested in extensive works over the coming months. Set to reopen in the first quarter of 2024, the new-look club will offer a new luxurious Spa Retreat which is set to be a destination for pure relaxation. The Spa Retreat will feature 5 breath taking experience rooms including citrus steam room, Himalayan salt sauna, ice experience room plus a peppermint ice rainforest experience shower, hydrotherapy pool and heated relaxation beds where members will be able to drift away, relax and rejuvenate. The state-of-the-art gym, boutique designed studios for group classes plus a stunning Clubroom and business lounge, will result in David Lloyd Fulham becoming one of London’s leading premium health and wellness facilities. Due to the level of disruption involved to members in a rapid transformation of this scale, the club will be closed for a number of months from Friday 30th June 2023 and re-open in early 2024. All existing David Lloyd Fulham membership fee payments will be automatically frozen on the day the club closes. However, members wishing to carry on their membership, can choose to use Clubs nearby with a 50% reduction in fees. The nearest Club is David Lloyd Kensington, which is just two miles away. David Lloyd Clubs are ensuring existing team members are well looked after and there will be no compulsory redundancies during this period. Team are being redeployed to other local clubs or a club within commutable distance. David Lloyd Clubs are committed to delivering market leading facilities to their members by investing in clubs throughout the UK and Europe, and this transformation of David Lloyd Fulham is yet another example of this commitment. Kristen Westwood, General Manager, David Lloyd Fulham said: “There’s a lot of buzz and excitement about the refurbishment and rightly so, as the new club will be a luxurious and highly premium destination for our members and their families to work, rest and play. “We’re grateful that our team and members – some of whom have been with us for nearly 20 years – are happy to go to other nearby clubs while we are closed for works. We are anticipating a lot of interest in new memberships and can’t wait to unveil the new-look David Lloyd Fulham early next year.” Those interested can register for updates on the works as well as membership packages when they come available on the David Lloyd Fulham website www.davidlloyd.co.uk/fulham. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Works to excavate 22-acres of the Liverpool Festival Gardens site are nearing completion after two years. The derelict land had not been touched in 25 years before remediation work began on the area. More than 380,000 cubic metres of soil and waste has been removed as part of the project, with 95% of the material being recycled. Liverpool City Council is now seeking to appoint multidisciplinary consultant team to assist the Council in preparing a development brief for the residential-led redevelopment of Festival Gardens. The appointed partner will work with the council to create a development brief which will then be advertised on the market for various contractors to bid for. The Liverpool Festival Gardens site is situated three miles south of the city centre. It is split into three different zones. A 28 acre development zone, 25 acres of oriental gardens and the southern grasslands – 37 acres of former Festival Gardens land that has self-seeded. The Development Zone, part of which was a former landfill site, once formed part of the International Garden Festival celebrations launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984. Commenting on the project, Liverpool’s Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, Councillor Nick Small, said: “This is a major step forward in transforming this iconic location and bringing to life our vision of creating a brand new community, with a range of housing types and tenures, ancillary facilities and a high-quality, desirable public realm area. “The work undertaken to date to reach this milestone should not be underestimated, but our focus has been on getting everything right as we need to future-proof this land and make sure it’s fit for purpose for generations to come. “We look forward to moving on to the next phase and taking a step closer to this game-changing development.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sheffield City Council has announced a £117 million investment package for the city’s leisure and entertainment facilities. The plans include rebuilds of some of the city’s most popular leisure centres, improvements to Sheffield Arena and the City Hall. Springs, Concord and Hillsborough Leisure Centres have all been selected for rebuilds. In addition to investment for the Woodburn Road FC. A procurement process for the new projects will be put in place in 2024 when the existing agreements for the management of the various sites is due to end. The procurement process will be split into three packages. Each bidder will have the opportunity to tender for the packages that best suit their experience. The packages consist of Services for Sport and Leisure (including golf facilities), entertainment facilities at the town hall and entertainment facilities at the arena. Commenting on the plans, Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield is renowned for sport, leisure and entertainment with our venues hosting many elite events and high-profile shows. We’re proud of this but we know that many of our facilities need significant investment. Our plans will ensure there are modern, accessible leisure facilities across the city and they will ensure Sheffield has the venues to compete on the national and international stage. “Listening to our residents, we know that many people can find it hard to be active and incorporate healthy habits into daily life. That’s why we’re working with our partners to deliver excellent, low-cost facilities across the city. We want to ensure people across Sheffield can access facilities that support wellbeing, physical and mental health, that are aspirational for children and young people and are places to socialise and have fun. “There’s a lot of work to be done, but we’ve developed a long-term vision that will protect and enhance our much-loved venues. Across the country we’ve seen pool and leisure centres close but Sheffield is bucking the trend by investing in our facilities.” Reflecting on the potential impact of the scheme, Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks, and Leisure policy committee, said: “To look after ourselves, we need facilities and open spaces that are fit for purpose, places that people want to visit and enjoy. “Health and wellbeing matter now more than ever. A walk in the park, a swim at your local pool, or a 30-minute class in the gym does wonders for minds and bodies and it’s important that local people have the choices to do it their way. “Sheffield is one of only three cities in the UK to host a National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine. A significant part of our success lies in working closely with our partners such as the NHS, the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. Working together to deliver the city’s Move More strategy enables us to ensure Sheffield residents have the facilities they need to live happy, healthier lives.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work has completed on EFL Championship team Queens Park Rangers’ new state-of-the-art training ground, set to accommodate the club’s first team, under 23s and academy squads form the coming season. The advanced new facility has been designed by Studio Zoppini Architects and delivered by an expert project team including, global design engineering consultants Buro Happold, planning advisors HGH Consulting, and contract administrators Arcadis. Construction was completed by Michael Brady Ltd and all pitch works and landscaping by White Horse contractors. The consultant team have worked collaboratively with the club to achieve a sensitive and coherent building that provides unified facilities for the club. It provides a strong identity, a focal point for engagement with the community and is flexible for the future needs both of its players and the needs of the site. The 27-acre site sits within the green belt, adjacent to M4 and residential areas and Cranford College. It was imperative that the design was sensitive to its location whilst providing an aspirational environment for all the representatives of the club and as a positive asset to the local community. The domestic profile of the building enables an extruded form that enables internal zoning and spatial interest to key areas. The entrance is secluded, whilst the main social spaces of the gym and dining areas open up to views across the practice pitches and the surrounding countryside. The careful selection of materials integrates simplicity and economy while creating a subtle identity for the club. The building’s orientation and envelope has been designed to integrate natural ventilation and daylight – both introducing passive design measures and creating a better workplace for all staff, including players. The number of EV (electric vehicle) charging points have also been increased from the original plans. Alessandro Zoppini, Owner at Studio Zoppini Architects, said: “It was important that the design provides a welcoming and healthy atmosphere for the athletes and staff, to generate a positive and supportive environment for the improvement of performance and a collective endeavour. In a similar way the building performs to high standards.” Jon Tollit, Studio Zoppini UK added: “Training facilities are the catalyst for the next generation and this building will provide a focus for the club for the years ahead, being flexible and adaptable to future needs. It is integrated and respectful to its Green Belt location, as it is to the local community. The project was a real ‘team’ effort.” Buro Happold delivered a full range of multidisciplinary engineering services in its key role, creating a project with impressive sustainability credentials. The facility features on-site renewable energy regeneration with 922m2 of solar photovoltaic panels, as well as extensive use of air source heat pumps. It is expected that thanks to a combination of demand reduction, and low-carbon air source heat pump and renewable energy systems, the project will exceed its 35% reduction target over Part L 2013 baseline figures, achieving BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification. Carbon dioxide emissions will also be reduced by 77% above GLA (Greater London Authority) targets. Buro Happold’s structural engineering team delivered impressive carbon savings on the project, advising on lightweight partitions to minimise the loading on steelwork, as well as pushing for cement replacement where possible. Parametric analysis shows that these timber partitions fins will create a 21% and 23% reduction in solar gain on the western and eastern facades respectively. The project was also used to test Buro Happold’s embodied carbon tool, a resource that is proving instrumental in reducing embodied carbon across all projects. The new Training Centre is the latest example of Buro Happold’s work and expertise in sport, which also includes the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, redevelopment of Lords Cricket Ground’s Compton and Edrich stands, and the upcoming Everton stadium at Bramley Moore Dock in Liverpool. Steve Macey, Director at Buro Happold, said, “It’s fantastic that QPR’s new training ground is complete and ready for its teams to start training ahead of the new football season. We’ve been involved over a number of years to consolidate the club’s first team with the academy onto a single sustainable site, and this is the culmination of all that hard work.” Work on the new training ground also included installing a world-leading hybrid turf GrassMaster system to five new pitches, a comprehensive drainage system, full irrigation, energy efficient under-pitch heating along with the wider site infrastructure. The project was also supported by planning advisors HGH Consulting, Arcadis, and delivered by Michael Brady ltd with the assistance of Thomas Alexander Design as the Delivery Architect. Sean Brady, Director of Michael Brady Ltd, said, “We are delighted to handover QPR’s exciting new training ground facility and to deliver for QPR, all of their players, staff and ultimately their fans. I am immensely proud of the entire Michael Brady Management and Design team, notably the Site Project Management for all of their hard work and all of the Michael Brady supporting staff.” Paul Mitchell, partner at Arcadis, said, ‘Having worked with the Club for over 10 years we are proud to have made our contribution to this amazing new facility. Procured with four distinct packages of work it was great to see the contractors and project team all work so closely together to deliver for the Club. We are pleased to have QPR within our portfolio of football training related projects which includes Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Leicester City.’ David Smith, MD of White Horse Contractors, commented, “The elite pitch development showcases the club’s vision and investment for the future, providing their players and staff with the very best facilities to play and train on. Being trusted by the club to design and deliver these pitches, and deliver the external landscaping to the new facility, is something we as a company are very proud of.” Patrick Grincell, Co-Founding Director of hgh, said: “We have advised QPR throughout the process from site acquisition to securing planning permission and have been delighted to continue working with the club to deliver on its vision to provide a new state-of-the-art
Hotel fitout specialist, Polcom Furniture by Volumetric Building Companies, has delivered its 15th contract for Whitbread’s hub by Premier Inn hotel brand. This latest project for main contractor Gilbert Ash was to manufacture and install the guest room furniture for the new hub by Premier Inn hotel in Clerkenwell, London. Designed by Sheppard Robson, the 180-bed hotel is part of a £38m mixed use development on the site of a former carpark in central London. It is one of 15 hub by Premier Inn hotels now in operation across central London and Edinburgh – all fitted out by Polcom. The project managers for the scheme were Cumming Group. Polcom manufactured around 1,700 items of furniture for the new four-storey hotel and for three hub by Premier Inn room designs – standard, bigger, and accessible rooms. Paul Quinn, Associate Director of Cumming Group, said, “We have worked on a number of Whitbread hotel projects with Polcom. The quality of their furniture and fitout on the Clerkenwell project was exactly as expected. The furniture is manufactured to a consistently high standard and optimises the space really well.” Fitted furniture was provided for the bedrooms in a matt ecru finish and included a closet with mirror, coat panel, bed base with integrated storage, headboard with recesses, pull-out table, and partition between the bedroom and ensuite. The bigger rooms feature a king-sized bed, headboard, desk and closet. Polcom also provided a vanity unit for each of the ensuites in an ecru finish with a contrasting wood-effect trim. Polcom is now working with Gilbert Ash on two other hub by Premier Inn projects in London – Camden High Street and Old Marylebone Road. Its team has worked on Whitbread hotel projects for over a decade. Acquired by Volumetric Building Companies in 2022, Polcom Furniture has more than 20 years’ experience in the hotel sector and has delivered bespoke furniture and fitout contracts for a wide range of hospitality brands including Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express, citizenM and Marriott International. Polcom offers high quality and flexible furniture solutions for bedrooms and ensuites which are manufactured in Europe and can meet any brand specification for hotel customers across the globe. This gives operators in the hospitality space the benefits of shorter lead times, greater certainty of supply, and stringent quality standards – from materials sourcing to production and installation. Polcom Furniture also has strong logistics and project management to meet contractors’ scheduling and programmes, particularly on constrained urban sites. For further information, visit www.vbc.co/polcomfurniture. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Russell WBHO has been appointed to build a new nine-storey hotel in Gateshead. The contract was awarded by real estate company Ask:PATRIZIA to construct the 344 bedroom, 180,898 sq ft, dual branded hotel. Planning permission for the project was approved by Gateshead Council in March and construction is set to commence later this year. The design was created by AHR Architects. Other features of the hotel include, restaurants, bars, business meeting rooms and a residents’ gym. They will be managed by Vine Hotels. A network of pedestrian footpaths and crossings will link the hotel to the wider Quayside development areas and to Gateshead town centre to the west. When complete the hotel will be managed by Accor under its Novotel and Ibis brands. It is expected to host 210,000 visitors a year as well as to generate £13 million for the local economy. Commenting on the project, Russel WBHO Managing director Gareth Russell said: “As a recognised specialist in hotel construction, we are extremely pleased to confirm our appointment to this new project in Gateshead. “We take a collaborative partnership approach to delivery and our team is working closely with the client and the local authority in readiness for a project start later this year. “As part of our commitment to responsible sourcing and social value, we will look to secure labour and materials from local suppliers wherever possible and ensure the project provides training and apprenticeship opportunities for local young people.” Reflecting on the new partnership, John Hughes, managing director of Ask Real Estate on behalf of the Ask:PATRIZIA partnership said: “Russell WBHO has a proven track record in the leisure sector and we are delighted to be partnering with them to deliver this superb new hotel for Gateshead. We’re looking forward to making a swift start on site and seeing the creation of another valuable asset for the Quayside area.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
