Northern Ireland based developer and contractor McAleer & Rushe has announced that it has just secured planning permission to develop two multi-million-pound hotels located in Birmingham and Glasgow City Centre, representing an investment of c. £85 million. Combined, the two hotels will deliver a total of 630 bedrooms and will
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature
Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle
An acoustic attenuation solution provided by Sto has helped create a new acoustic environment at a leading London restaurant. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed at Lyle’s – a restaurant that is quickly becoming recognized as one of most prestigious establishments of its kind in the capital. Located in
Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of
A £15 million contract to deliver the new Central Library and Museum in Doncaster has been secured by Willmott Dixon. The project, designed by architect Bond Ryan, involves the transformation of four existing buildings into a cultural and learning centre that includes a new library, rail heritage centre, art gallery
When the Cheltenham Festival begins each year, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the town of Cheltenham and, in particular, the racecourse, to catch a glimpse of what could be the next big name in horse racing. Each year jockeys and trainers battle to become the best in the
A new housing development in Edenbridge is set to throw open its showhome’s doors to home-hunters in the area. The Aldwych showhome at Bellway’s Oakley Park development, off St Johns Way, is being unveiled to the public on Saturday, February 2. This outstanding four-bedroom property will showcase all that’s best
Master developer Nakheel has started constructing the rooftop infinity swimming pool at The Palm Tower, its 52-storey, luxury hotel and residential complex at the heart of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Perched 210 metres above ground and covering 775 square metres, the infinity pool – one of the highest in the
Around £7 million of funding is to go to three culture and tourism projects in Yorkshire. £6.9 million have been confirmed by Sheffield City Region to go towards Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Gullivers World and Vulcan to the Sky, which will also see almost 500 new jobs created. The funding for
Northern Ireland based developer and contractor McAleer & Rushe has announced that it has just secured planning permission to develop two multi-million-pound hotels located in Birmingham and Glasgow City Centre, representing an investment of c. £85 million. Combined, the two hotels will deliver a total of 630 bedrooms and will be operated by Ireland’s largest hotel operator, Dalata Hotel Group (“Dalata”), under its four-star Maldron brand. McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK Ltd are scheduled to commence construction on both hotels this summer, with practical completion anticipated within two years. Maldron Hotel Glasgow The 300-bed 4 star hotel in Glasgow, the first Maldron Hotel for Dalata in Scotland, will be located on Renfrew St, close to Buchannan St and employ c. 100 staff. It forms part of a wider masterplan by McAleer & Rushe to include c. 100,000 sq.ft of Grade A offices. Maldron Hotel Birmingham The 330-bed Maldron Hotel in Birmingham is prominently located in the city centre 5 minutes walk from New Street Station and will be delivered in advance of 2022 Common Wealth Games, employing up to 105 staff. The development which is regenerating a derelict site, will feature a business centre, ground floor bar and restaurant with guest rooms arranged over 10 uppers floors. Commenting Stephen Surphlis, Property Director, McAleer & Rushe said, “The development of the two new Maldron Hotels are very exciting initiatives for both cities with the projects strategically located, catering for both business and leisure users. Glasgow has one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and Birmingham continues to secure a range of inward investment projects, with the opening of the HS2 high speed rail network in 2026. “We’ve been encouraged by the support shown by both Local Authorities in processing the applications in a professional and timely manner allowing construction works to commence in the coming months and we look forward to working with in partnership with Dalata once again.” Dermot Crowley, Deputy CEO, Dalata Hotel Group commented: “We are delighted that planning permission has been granted for these two prime sites in Birmingham and Glasgow that will deliver 630 rooms across both cities and supports our goal to become the leading 4-star operator in 20 target cities across the UK. This will be our first Maldron Hotel in Birmingham, where we currently operate a 174 bedroom Clayton hotel. In addition to the Maldron Glasgow, we will deliver a 4-star 294 bedroom Clayton hotel in Glasgow in early 2021. We look forward to working with McAleer and Rushe on these developments, who have proved to be an excellent partner on previous projects.”
McAleer & Rushe has secured the contract for the new £82 million hotel and aparthotel development in Paddington, with construction work due to begin shortly. The new 620-room development is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan. The development will be built on an existing two-storey basement and feature a 373-bed Premier Inn and a 247-bed Staycity aparthotel across 19 floors. The development will also deliver 27,000 square feet of social and community floorspace. “We are looking forward to working as development partners with Concierge 3 and all shareholders in delivering this exciting project within the wider Paddington regeneration masterplan. Our experience in delivering high quality mixed-use buildings will ensure this project is a real success and is currently our second major development in Paddington Basin,” said Emmett McGinley, Commercial Director, McAleer & Rushe Contracts UK. Led by developer Concierge 3, a consortium of BSW Land & Property, Staycity and The Pickstock Group, the scheme is the final stage of the Paddington Basin Masterplan and part of a wider investment which has seen new offices, shops, homes and leisure facilities being built over the last number of years revitalising this unique location. The new hotel-aparthotel hybrid will open its doors in late Summer 2021.
Five-star lifestyle hotel Andaz London Liverpool Street, is launching a unique collaboration with world leading eco fashion duo VIN + OMI, to further the hotel’s sustainability efforts and support its vision to operate in an environmentally conscious way. This will be achieved through various creative initiatives to reuse and recycle waste. VIN + OMI are well known for their innovative approach to eco-fashion and have received international acclaim for their sustainable practices and circular social impact projects. Their clothing is regularly seen on global icons and influencers such as Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. They have been working with Andaz London Liverpool Street since 2016 and have hosted a number of their eco fashion shows at the hotel. ”We are proud to have a long term relationship with the Andaz London. Choosing a partner venue for our shows is a carefully thought out process. The Andaz’s creative and eco approach makes them a perfect partner” said VIN+OMI. Over the last couple of years, Andaz London Liverpool Street has been active in making daily changes to operational procedures, from energy saving practices to the elimination of plastic and the reduction of food waste, transitioning to more sustainable processes and biodegradable alternatives. In 2018, Andaz London Liverpool Street was also awarded for its efforts by the Association of Energy Engineers for their Monitor & Save project. This was achieved on the back of their Western Europe Region Energy Project, which kicked off in 2016 and, within a year, saved 21% of electricity and 27.1% of gas consumption. 2019 will see the implementation of a number of environmentally-conscious procedures and the hotel will encourage guests and staff to become more aware and sustainable. The collaboration with VIN + OMI is another step to introduce a ‘green’ mindset all around. “We love VIN+OMI’s passion for sustainability and the incredible creativity they bring to address environmental issues. We feel they are the perfect partner to support the hotel in its mission to become more sustainable. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise more awareness of the issue and educate our team and guests in reducing waste, focusing on small steps every day across all areas of the business,” said Amanda Richter, Director of Food & Beverage at Andaz London Liverpool Street.
An acoustic attenuation solution provided by Sto has helped create a new acoustic environment at a leading London restaurant. The StoSilent Distance system has been installed at Lyle’s – a restaurant that is quickly becoming recognized as one of most prestigious establishments of its kind in the capital. Located in the historic refurbished Tea Building in Shoreditch, Lyle’s frontage consists of original individual glazed windows, which lead into a clean modern, large open plan area. Within this area there are exposed HVAC services below the soffit, a bar space and an open kitchen experience. “Although the interior is clean, light and modern and gives a feeling of space, unfortunately all the original features of the building, i.e. glazed tiles to the walls, original concrete columns and polished concrete floors are hard and reflective and only add to the acoustic conundrum with attenuation, reverberation and speech clarity,” explains Sto’s Technical Consultant for Acoustics, Mike Wallace. “Add to the mix the open kitchen and bar, mood music and hard wooden tables and chairs, and it was vital that the correct acoustic balance was achieved. “For a restaurant, it’s important to create the correct balance. You want the area to have a good background atmosphere, and at the same time, the customers need to be able to hold conversations without straining to hear, where speech is intelligible. This is when good all-round acoustic design becomes a vital element within the space. To achieve this, we were asked to provide a Class B solution, which translates to 0.8 and 0.85 as a weighted sound absorption coefficiency.” The Sto Silent Distance 115 system was chosen to achieve this balance and Sto worked closely with Billy Hookway of Trishna Group to provide the optimum design. The Sto Silent Distance 115 system allows the creation of seamless, sound-absorbent walls and ceilings up to 200 m², allowing inclined planes, sharp and consistent joints, bulkheads and floating return bulkheads. In line with the aspiration of the client wishing to have a modern, clean, uncluttered aesthetic, it was natural for Lyles to choose the Sto Silent Distance system. The interior soffit consisted of existing pre-constructed square concrete coffers, and the client wished to retain these, so Sto designed the individual canopies to be tight to the soffit and give the impression of height and depth, and to accentuate and express the natural concrete coffers. The use of the Sto SW150 minimal void solution, in conjunction with the 25mm 115 board, provided the perfect balance in achieving the all-important acoustic design and the aesthetic requirements. Installation of the system was managed by Craft Interior, a trained Sto Acoustic installer. “The overall installation was finished with Sto Silent Décor M in white, to create an eye-catching finish that is very in-keeping with the clean and minimalist design of the restaurant’s interior,” adds Graham Chadwick of Craft Interior. “The StoSilent Décor M is spray-applied and can be tinted to match a wide range of shades from the StoColor system”. The final effect has been extremely successful, with Lyle’s diners able to enjoy their meal in surroundings that are attractive and contemporary from both a visual and acoustic viewpoint. Picture caption: A StoSilent Distance acoustic attenuation solution has helped create a new acoustic environment at this leading London restaurant. Picture courtesy of Adam Luszniak Photography
Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum in London has opened its doors to the public, with spitfire aircraft and previously unpublished photos of World War 2 pilots and Winston Churchill being available for at the public display. The museum aims to creating an environment where people can learn about the Battle of Britain and those who lost their lives in the conflict. “The museum offers a new way of telling for what some people would be a familiar story,” said director of the Biggin Hill War Memorial Museum, Jemma Davey. Other artefacts on display include objects that reflect the lives of those who worked at RAF Biggin Hill and those that reflect the personal stories of service men and women that operated at the airfield. “The history of Biggin Hill goes so much further back than the Battle of Britain. It is one of Britain’s oldest aerodromes and was instrumental to the development of wireless communication technologies,” added Jemma. Called by Winston Churchill his “strongest link” during the Battle of Britain, RAF Biggin Hill is an airfield in South London. Pilots from the airfield took down 1,400 Luftwaffe aircraft during World War 2. Construction work on the £5.3 million (US$6.9m, €6m) museum started in Q4 2017 and the project received funding from the UK Government, the National Lottery, the local Bromley Council and private donors. The historic airfield site is also home to St George’s RAF Chapel of Remembrance, where those who died working from Biggin Hill sector are commemorated.
A £15 million contract to deliver the new Central Library and Museum in Doncaster has been secured by Willmott Dixon. The project, designed by architect Bond Ryan, involves the transformation of four existing buildings into a cultural and learning centre that includes a new library, rail heritage centre, art gallery and museum. “The new Central Library and Museum project is one of many schemes we are on the ground and delivering as part of our comprehensive and ambitious Urban Centre Masterplan. We are transforming Doncaster, making it a highly desirable place to live, work, visit and invest in,” said Cllr Bill Mordue, Doncaster Council’s Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Economic Development. Throughout the project, the central frontage of the former Hall Cross Girls School building will be retained and encased in a glass façade to showcase an iconic part of Doncaster’s architectural heritage. “Scape and Willmott Dixon have a strong and ongoing relationship with Doncaster Council, with a proven track record of delivering much-needed programmes in the area,” added Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive. “Our delivery partner, Willmott Dixon, has played a key role to support Doncaster Council in the regeneration of the local area, providing upgraded community facilities and affordable housing. By utilising our framework Doncaster Council has ensured cost-effective and efficient project delivery, while ensuring local suppliers benefit from the inward investment.” Located on the junction of Waterdale and Chequer Road, the new development is expected to open in summer 2020. This latest contract adds to a series of schemes in Doncaster by Willmott Dixon.
When the Cheltenham Festival begins each year, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the town of Cheltenham and, in particular, the racecourse, to catch a glimpse of what could be the next big name in horse racing. Each year jockeys and trainers battle to become the best in the business and lift the Gold Cup, seen by many as the grand prize of the festival. As the number of visitors to the festival increased year on year, the outdated facilities and layout were struggling to cope with the sheer number of people coming through the gates. With this in mind, the decision was taken to redevelop the racecourse and from 2013-2015 Kier developers were contracted to modernise the course so that it could handle the influx of people. The construction involved building a new grandstand on request of the Jockey Club, who were financing the ambitious redevelopment. The new grandstand was to replace the current “A&R” block, which was over 90 years old at the time the project was commissioned. The project comprised of 14 sectional completions and 18 separate projects, all the while ensuring that events such as the Cheltenham Festival were unaffected during the construction. It took 19 months to construct the five-and-a-half storey grandstand and it was unveiled in November 2015 by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne. The capacity of the new grandstand was increased on the previous one to 6,500 and a royal box and new hospitality boxes were included in the build. On the top floor there is a premium superclub. The redevelopment of the racecourse was not limited to the building of the grandstand as in the plans there was also a new crescent walkway which was designed to help spectators’ movement while also allowing for the spectators to have a good view of the parade ring. The total cost of the redevelopment was £45 million, £25 million of which was raised by the Jockey Club. They achieved this total through the Jockey Club Racecourse Bond, which made history by becoming the first retail bond in British sport. The remaining £20 million to fund the project came from multiple sources including HSBC, AIB and RBS as well as a Horserace Betting Levy Board capital fund loan. The Jockey Club’s cash flow and commercial deals made up the rest of the funding. People who attend the Cheltenham Festival 2019 will have the opportunity to view the grandstand as well as appreciate the facilities that were built alongside it. The Jockey Club will hope that this latest redevelopment of the facilities at Cheltenham will last for many decades to come as they have already invested £80 million in the facilities at the racecourse. As one of the most popular events in the racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival is well worth the upgrade and with improved bar and toilet facilities as well as more public viewing areas, Cheltenham will appeal to more people and in turn, the racecourse will be able to handle further increases in spectators to one of the biggest festivals of the year.
A new housing development in Edenbridge is set to throw open its showhome’s doors to home-hunters in the area. The Aldwych showhome at Bellway’s Oakley Park development, off St Johns Way, is being unveiled to the public on Saturday, February 2. This outstanding four-bedroom property will showcase all that’s best about the spectacular mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses as well as one and two-bedroom apartments at the development. Work on Bellway’s landmark site began in late 2017 and will be made up of 300 homes. The development will also feature public open space featuring a children’s play area, walkways and wildlife areas. Mark Harrop, Sales Director for Bellway’s Kent division, said: “We are very excited to be opening our new showhome at Oakley Park on February 2. “It will give people seeking their dream home an excellent insight into the beautiful properties we are building here. “It looks set to be very busy on the launch day because there has been such intense interest in Oakley Park from people keen to move into the area and we’re gearing up to meet high demand. “Our development offers a wide range of homes to suit everyone from first-time buyers looking to get on to the property ladder to families who’d like more room and those looking for the ideal place to downsize. “Our properties at Oakley Park have already been going down well so I’d urge anyone interested in making this their home to come along and view our showhome so that they don’t miss out.” Bellway will be ploughing almost £1.5 million into local infrastructure and facilities as part of the Oakley Park planning agreement. There is currently a range of two-bedroom apartments and three, four and five-bedroom houses available to buy. Prices for two-bedroom apartments start at £264,995. More information on the homes being built at Oakley Park can be found at bellway.co.uk.
Master developer Nakheel has started constructing the rooftop infinity swimming pool at The Palm Tower, its 52-storey, luxury hotel and residential complex at the heart of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Perched 210 metres above ground and covering 775 square metres, the infinity pool – one of the highest in the world – borders all four sides of the building, boasting unrivalled, panoramic views across Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline. The pool – which will hold 930,000 litres of water – is on the 50th floor of The Palm Tower. Above the pool will be a podium housing a 51st level speciality restaurant and a 52nd storey public viewing deck, 240 metres high. Construction of the rooftop dining viewing deck complex will begin soon. Located at the heart of the world-famous, award winning Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Tower comprises a 289-room St. Regis hotel, 432 luxury residences and an array of dining and leisure facilities. The hotel occupies the first 18 floors, with fully-furnished studios and one, two and three bedroom apartments on the upper floors. Currently, around 850 construction workers are on site at The Palm Tower, rising to more than 1,500 when internal fit out gets in full swing in the next few weeks. Fit out of the St. Regis – due to open later this year – has already begun. The Palm Tower is directly connected to the under-construction Nakheel Mall – the access point for the public viewing deck – and its 350 shops, restaurants and attractions. Nakheel Mall, which has its own Palm Monorail station, is due for completion this year. Several other dining, leisure and entertainment venues are nearby, including the St. Regis Beach Club, part of Nakheel’s Palm West Beach complex, to which hotel guests and residents will have priority access; Al Ittihad Park, the UAE’s first indigenous park, spanning 1.1 million square feet across the heart of Palm Jumeirah; and the newly-opened Pointe at Palm Jumeirah, with 70 seafront restaurants and shops. For more information on The Palm Tower apartments, visit the Nakheel Sales Centre, call +971 4 390 3333 or log on to www.nakheel.com
Around £7 million of funding is to go to three culture and tourism projects in Yorkshire. £6.9 million have been confirmed by Sheffield City Region to go towards Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Gullivers World and Vulcan to the Sky, which will also see almost 500 new jobs created. The funding for the projects is part of the Sheffield City Region’s Local Growth Fund (LGF) allocation, funded by the Government. Funding of £5 million was approved for the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, £1.5 million for Gullivers Valley, and £400,000 for the Vulcan to the Sky project at a Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) meeting. “It’s great to be able to fund such a diverse range of projects, which will create new jobs, boost our visitor economy and complement the existing range of fantastic arts, culture and heritage sites we have here in our region. Not only do cultural attractions enrich our quality of life, but they act as a driver for economic growth. By working together, we can be more than the sum of our parts,” said Mayor Dan Jarvis, who chaired the MCA meeting. Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster will add an additional 150 acres to the current site providing a new entrance, expanded car parking, new animal reserves and a large lake, all due to the funding. There will be also a visitor hub incorporating a 148-bedroom hotel, an events and conference venue, restaurants and shops, with aims to grow to 1.2 million visitors by 2022. The Gullivers Valley project will receive £1.5 million towards the £7.5 million cost of the whole theme park project, which will offer rides and attractions aimed at children aged from two to 13. The resort will also offer family-friendly accommodation, and is expected to create around 250 new jobs. Meanwhile, funding for the Vulcan to the Sky project will help to create a permanent home in Doncaster for the restored Vulcan XH558 bomber. “We are obviously thrilled that the Sheffield City Region has recognised the significance of the region being the permanent home to the Vulcan by the award of a significant grant towards the new hangar. The funding from the Sheffield City Region will be vital in delivering this heritage hangar, ensuring that XH558 is given the home she deserves and that the public can once again visit this iconic aircraft,” commented Dr Robert Pleming, on behalf of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.