TODD Architects has won planning permission to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at ground and basement levels. Birmingham City Council planning officers said the plans,
Tim Burgess and the VOP Group Architects he founded, have joined AJ100 practice TODD Architects, with Tim becoming the new Principal of TODD Architects’ growing London studio. Tim brings over 20 years’ experience, working across private and public sectors, including for the past 12 years leading and managing Cove Burgess
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application on behalf of Press Up Hospitality Group and sister company Oakmount to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at
Planning permission has been granted for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and North Sea coastline. The
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application for 780 new homes at Queen’s Island in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. On approval, the multi-million-pound scheme known as The Loft Lines would become one of the largest new residential construction projects in the UK and forms part of Belfast’s wider
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann has officially opened Northern Ireland’s second Nightingale Hospital in County Antrim. The new facility at Whiteabbey Hospital will ultimately have up to 100 beds available to ease pressure on the region’s Covid-19 wards in the event of further surges in cases over the winter
TODD Architects has won planning permission for Bedford Yard, an aparthotel and office development in the heart of Belfast City centre, opposite the BBC’s HQ on Ormeau Avenue. By refurbishing a vacant four-storey red brick former warehouse and adding a newbuild structure behind, the landmark development will deliver approximately 10,000sq
A design by TODD Architects for the £50 million regeneration of Queen’s Parade, a 13 acre (5.26 hectares) waterfront site in Bangor, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been submitted for planning. The scheme will see Bangor’s Marine Gardens returned to its heyday of Victorian seaside elegance whilst creating a vibrant
Recent strong growth has seen TODD Architects, one of the Architects Journal’s UK leading 100 practices, expand its London office with a move to larger premises in Fitzrovia. Explains London office Principal, Katie Parfitt: “Although TODD’s have had a London studio since the 1980s, we needed more space to support
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
TODD Architects has won planning permission to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at ground and basement levels. Birmingham City Council planning officers said the plans, drawn up on behalf of Press Up Hospitality Group and sister company Oakmount, would retain the “distinctiveness” of the building and improve its appearance. Originally built in 1904, the Central Methodist Hall became the legendary Que Club in 1989, attracting major artists such as David Bowie, Daft Punk and Blur. Despite becoming an important part of Birmingham’s musical and cultural scene, the club went out of use in 2017 and the building declined onto Heritage England’s At Risk Register. TODD Architects’ hotel-led proposal sensitively extends and adapts this much-loved landmark, preserving many of its original features whilst once again allowing it to take its place at the heart of Birmingham’s cultural landscape. Fundamental to the plans will be the refurbishment of the Central Hall into a luscious 1500-seat event space, with the pulpit area redefined as a stage for visiting acts. In addition, a traditional members’ club cocktail lounge, two expansive external terraces and a flagship rooftop restaurant with panoramic views across the city are proposed. Seamus Lennon, Principal, TODD Architects, comments: “We are thrilled to see our hotel-led proposals for the refurbishment of Birmingham Central Methodist Hall granted approval a mere six months on from our client having completed on the building. The Central Methodist Hall offers the opportunity to mix the height of Victorian grandeur with a fresh and contemporary take on the modern hospitality offer. Whilst it remains necessary to extend the building vertically to ensure the project is commercially viable, Birmingham City Council planners recognised our proposals will ensure this is done sensitively and allow the full restoration of the Central Hall space to be enjoyed by generations to come.” The proposed three-storey rooftop extension will be set back from the parapet and terraced backwards as the volume rises. A single-storey extension to the south will also be set back from the parapet and above this rests a new restaurant with a pitched roof matching the form of the original. The new elements make explicit reference to the qualities of the original building, whilst also utilising modern methods of construction and material technologies. The scheme on Corporation Street will be operated by Press Up Hospitality Group under ‘The Dean’ brand. The Dean is a boutique, design-led hotel with locations in Dublin, Cork and Galway. This will be the first Dean location outside of Ireland.
Tim Burgess and the VOP Group Architects he founded, have joined AJ100 practice TODD Architects, with Tim becoming the new Principal of TODD Architects’ growing London studio. Tim brings over 20 years’ experience, working across private and public sectors, including for the past 12 years leading and managing Cove Burgess Architects and then VOP in London. Tim is also a member of Southwark Design Review Panel and since 2012 has been a visiting critic at the University of Bath. Peter Minnis, TODD Architects’ London studio director commented: “Tim and the VOP Group joining us is another positive step for the practice, coming shortly after our appointment of Gonzalo Vargas as our new Head of Healthcare. It further strengthens our offer to clients in the city, particularly in the private sector, building on the reputation we have established in recent years in the design and delivery of over 2,500 homes in the capital.”
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application on behalf of Press Up Hospitality Group and sister company Oakmount to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at ground and basement levels. The proposed scheme on Corporation Street will be operated by Press Up Hospitality Group under ‘The Dean’ brand. The Dean is a boutique, design-led hotel with locations in Dublin, Cork and Galway. This will be the first Dean location outside of Ireland. Originally built in 1904, the Central Methodist Hall became the legendary Que Club in 1989, attracting major artists such as David Bowie, Daft Punk and Blur. Despite becoming an important part of Birmingham’s musical and cultural scene, the club went out of use in 2017 and the building declined onto Heritage England’s At Risk Register. TODD Architects’ hotel-led proposal sensitively extends and adapts this much-loved landmark, preserving many of its original features whilst once again allowing it to take its place at the heart of Birmingham’s cultural landscape. Fundamental to the plans will be the refurbishment of the Central Hall into a luscious 1500-seat event space, with the pulpit area redefined as a stage for visiting acts. In addition, a traditional members’ club cocktail lounge, two expansive external terraces and a flagship rooftop restaurant with panoramic views across the city are proposed. Seamus Lennon, Principal, TODD Architects, comments: “The Central Methodist Hall offers the opportunity to mix the height of Victorian grandeur with a fresh and contemporary take on the modern hospitality offer. Whilst it remains necessary to extend the building vertically to ensure the project is commercially viable, our proposals will ensure this is done sensitively and allow the full restoration of the Central Hall space to be enjoyed by generations to come.” The proposed three-storey rooftop extension will be set back from the parapet and terraced backwards as the volume rises. A single-storey extension to the south will also be set back from the parapet and above this rests a new restaurant with a pitched roof matching the form of the original. The new elements make explicit reference to the qualities of the original building, whilst also utilising modern methods of construction and material technologies. TODD Architects’ Seamus Lennon concludes: “It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important cultural landmark as Birmingham Central Methodist Hall. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK and our specialist knowledge in commercially successful adaptive re-use of buildings, our proposal will deliver a high-quality hotel and leisure destination that will have a transformative impact on the immediate neighbourhood and support Birmingham City Council’s wider regeneration targets.”
Planning permission has been granted for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and North Sea coastline. The scheme, designed by TODD Architects, has been conceived to become a world-class facility to complement the existing hospitality and leisure offer in St Andrews for local residents and visitors. It will be developed on behalf of the hotel’s new owners, a joint venture between Links Collection Capital and Northern Ireland based property investment company, Wirefox, who purchased the historic property last year. Fife Council’s planning officers approved the application under delegated powers and work will now commence to reconfigure the hotel’s existing rooms and add a five-storey extension at the rear to create a 5* luxury hotel with 51rooms. TODD Architects is working closely on the detailed design with interior design studio, Goddard Littlefair, to develop a unique and contemporary scheme inspired by the history and splendour of the locale. Andrew Murray, Director at TODD Architects, said: “We are delighted to see this scheme gain approval and are grateful to Fife Council’s Planning Team for their collaborative approach and the input of the various Consultees to ensure an efficient and positive planning process for all parties. “The Scores Hotel has been in existence since the mid 1930s and we fully understand the responsibility of restoring such an important and well-loved building for the local community and the tourism trade in the area. This is made all the more poignant as this year the home of golf hosts the 150th Open on the historic links of the Old Course and we will continue to work proactively with both the R&A, local stakeholders and the wider St Andrews community as the scheme progresses.” Joanne McBurney, Development Director at Wirefox, said: “We welcome the positive decision taken by planners at Fife Council and we are delighted to be able to realise our aim to create a world-class facility to complement the existing offer in St Andrews and the site’s location overlooking golf’s most famous course. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the local residents and community groups we have liaised with over recent months.” TODD Architects’ design will see bedroom floors in the existing terrace reconfigured to increase room sizes in keeping with 5-Star requirements and better benefit from the amazing views over The Old Course and North Sea Coastline. The rear extension will sit discretely to the rear of the main hotel and features a simple, contemporary look with materiality that is distinct from the original fabric but complementing its forms and features. A mansard roof creates a lighter finish to the building, and articulation creates a strong vertical rhythm accentuated with recessed and projecting elements for the outer wall. The ground floor will contain space for a new destination restaurant and a flexible multi-purpose area that can be used for small weddings or reconfigured into rooms of differing sizes for corporate bookings. Patrons of the ground-floor rooms can spill out into the freshly landscaped, south-facing garden. A predominantly glazed link forms a delicate connection between the original hotel and the new wing. The design includes the creation of a modest new stone and glass entrance in a simple contemporary style, reconfigured to contain a dedicated staircase to an upper bar and restaurant. Andrew Murray concludes: “Whilst a truly special hotel, it has been subject to a series of unsympathetic and piecemeal changes and additions, leading to many of the lovely Victorian spaces being carved up into awkward shapes with difficult access and many level changes. The hierarchy of spaces, dramatic settings and potentially amazing views have been lost. Our aim is to bring it back to its full potential, respecting the existing fabric whilst making sure our contemporary additions sit gracefully within the hotel grounds and the wider conservation area. “It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important and historic building as The Scores Hotel. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK, we have drawn on our experience to enhance and add value to the property with a workable layout and additions that respect the proud history of the site and St Andrews, the home of Golf.”
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews, Scotland; a historic property that occupies a unique position, a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the legendary Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse and North Sea coastline. The application has been submitted on behalf of the new owners, a joint venture between Links Collection Capital and Northern Ireland based property investment company, Wirefox, who purchased the property earlier this year. The proposal will see the hotel’s existing rooms reconfigured and a five-storey extension added at the rear to create a 5* luxury hotel with 51rooms. The design includes a new entrance that will add a sense of arrival to the hotel, whilst the new extension will include a high-quality restaurant and garden-dining area to deliver culinary excellence. Andrew Murray, Director at TODD Architects, said: “The Scores Hotel has been in existence since the mid 1930s and we fully understand the responsibility of restoring such an important and well-loved building for the local community and the tourism trade in the area. “Whilst a truly special hotel, it has been subject to a series of unsympathetic and piecemeal changes and additions, leading to many of the lovely Victorian spaces being carved up into awkward shapes with difficult access and many level changes. The hierarchy of spaces, dramatic settings and potentially amazing views have been lost. Our aim is to bring it back to its full potential, respecting the existing fabric whilst making sure our contemporary additions sit gracefully within the hotel grounds and the wider conservation area.” Speaking about the proposals, Joanne McBurney, Director, at Wirefox, said: “We are delighted to have finally submitted plans for the transformation of the much-loved Scores Hotel along with our development partners Links Collection Capital and our project team. “We are grateful to those that have provided feedback on the proposals from our informal consultation with a range of local stakeholders over the past few months. “We will continue to work proactively with local stakeholders and community groups as well as our neighbours as the application progresses through the planning process. Our aim is to create as world-class facility to complement the existing offer in St Andrews and the site’s location overlooking golf’s most famous course.” TODD Architects’ design will see bedroom floors in the existing terrace reconfigured to increase room sizes in keeping with 5-Star requirements and better benefit from the amazing views over The Old Course and North Sea Coastline. The rear extension will sit discretely to the rear of the main hotel and features a simple, contemporary look with materiality that is distinct from the original fabric but complementing its forms and features. A mansard roof creates a lighter finish to the building, and articulation creates a strong vertical rhythm accentuated with recessed and projecting elements for the outer wall. The ground floor will contain space for a new destination restaurant and a flexible multi-purpose area that can be used for small weddings or reconfigured into rooms of differing sizes for corporate bookings. Patrons of the ground-floor rooms can spill out into the freshly landscaped, south-facing garden. A predominantly glazed link forms a delicate connection between the original hotel and the new wing. The design includes the creation of a modest new stone and glass entrance in a simple contemporary style, reconfigured to contain a dedicated staircase to an upper bar and restaurant. Andrew Murray concludes: “It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important and historic building as The Scores Hotel. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK, we have drawn on our experience to enhance and add value to the property with a workable layout and additions that respect the proud history of the site and St Andrews, the home of Golf.”
TODD Architects has submitted a planning application for 780 new homes at Queen’s Island in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. On approval, the multi-million-pound scheme known as The Loft Lines would become one of the largest new residential construction projects in the UK and forms part of Belfast’s wider ambition to deliver over 31,500 new homes in the city by 2035. The Loft Lines is being delivered by Lacuna Developments and Watkin Jones Group in partnership with Titanic Quarter Limited and Belfast Harbour and will comprise an integrated mix of private rented, social and affordable apartment homes. A generous 20 percent will be housing association homes. The accommodation aims to deliver a level of residential amenities unseen in Belfast to date, with proposals including resident lounges, sports and recreational spaces, gyms, flexible working space, private dining spaces, games rooms, cinema rooms and children’s play areas. The development will be fully managed with wi-fi, amenities, gym and other extras included in residents’ rent. The 3.8-acre site has been configured into three blocks of apartments enclosing a one-acre public park and has been designed by TODD Architects to create a new community; a place for residents and visitors to enjoy, with green space, the water’s edge promenade and urban walkways prioritised over cars and roads. The buildings draw reference from Belfast’s industrial past and distinctive docklands rooflines to reflect the history of ship building and fabrication that once resonated on the site. Andrew Murray, Director, TODD Architects said: “Whilst our design for The Loft Lines respects the important industrial heritage of the site, it also looks to the future of urban living, creating a vibrant lifestyle-first community that encourages sustainable and healthy living. This new riverside community says everything about Belfast’s confidence and ambition and we are proud to play a continuing role in the development of this evolving city. Thanks to our clients Lacuna Developments and Watkin Jones Group for their vision and the exciting brief, as well as the constructive support from Belfast City Council during pre-application discussions for this important regeneration project.” Alex Pease, Chief Investment Officer of Watkin Jones Group, said: “The Loft Lines will be a fantastic place to live and a major draw for people to the Titanic Quarter, as well as help to cement Belfast’s fast-growing reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic cities. “The places we build are designed to generate long-term value for the community over many decades and I’m thrilled at the prospect of seeing people make their home here.” The starting point for the design proposals was an ambition to create buildings that engage with the heritage of the Titanic Quarter as it transitions to a vibrant mixed-use community. A palette of clay-based materials has been specified with tones of reds, pinks and browns creating three distinct urban blocks that will be named after the technical skills of those who planned out the life-sized plate patterns of ships on floor of the shipyard’s mould loft, which once stood on the site of the proposed scheme. The three residential buildings have been designed to maximise views to the waterfront and increase natural light levels. Each block has a distinctive communal courtyard, designated as private residential amenity space, with room for informal seating and planted gardens, high-quality paving and materials and spill-out areas for gym classes. The ground and first floors have been planned to create ample space for community-based shops, a creche, local cafes and restaurants, a gym, startups, young companies and local community innovation. The entirety of the waterfront promenade will benefit from active frontages, not only providing useful services and businesses, but also helping to ensure that public areas are welcoming and safe for people of all ages. At the heart of The Loft Lines site is South Yard Square, a one-acre public area and urban woodland with a vibrant blend of smaller active spaces. The Square will be set at a lower level to provide additional shelter and a safe setting for all ages, with different seat areas for play or to take a break, surrounded by formal and informal planting, grass lawns and paths. Perfect for exercise classes and outdoor events, the aim is for the space to become a night-and-day location for everyone to share and enjoy. The proposals include a new 12m-wide 1km long waterfront promenade and a safe, shared pedestrian and cycleway running along the quayside. The promenade has been designed to link the site and the wider area around the Titanic Quarter, helping to create a more accessible location. The developers are working with Maritime Belfast to ensure The Loft Lines section of the Maritime Mile is enriched by art, nature and history, celebrating the area’s industrial heritage and connecting to other features across Queen’s Island and into the city. Connecting South Yard Square and the waterfront promenade, is a central boulevard. This pedestrian-prioritised walkway celebrates The Loft Line’s distinctive historic layout lines. This unique pattern is embedded in the fabric of the boulevard, and repeated in the walkways and spaces between buildings across the site. The developers have also committed to delivering a sustainable, low-carbon development with each building installed with the latest heat pump technology to reduce the site’s reliance on fossil fuels and helping to future proof the development. In line with the Belfast Agenda, which has set a target of a 15% increase in the use of sustainable transport by 2035, The Loft Lines will offer several sustainable travel measures, including ground-floor bike stores with wash down and repair facilities and will aim to reduce the reliance on car-parking with the promotion of other active travel measures.
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann has officially opened Northern Ireland’s second Nightingale Hospital in County Antrim. The new facility at Whiteabbey Hospital will ultimately have up to 100 beds available to ease pressure on the region’s Covid-19 wards in the event of further surges in cases over the winter period. TODD Architects was appointed as architect and lead consultant to the project, working alongside Beattie Flanigan, Doran Consulting and Currie & Brown as an integrated design team. The creation of this vital enhanced rehabilitation facility was only announced in September and had the dual challenge of being delivered within a tight programme and on the site of a working hospital. Drawing on its extensive and award-winning healthcare design experience from across the UK, the healthcare team at TODD Architects oversaw the process of delivering the 100-bed scheme at Newtownabbey safely and at speed, whilst also ensuring the facilities met the strict healthcare requirements of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The new Nightingale will generally cater for low acuity/step-down patients who are well enough to leave an acute hospital but who would benefit from a period of intensive rehabilitation. However, the scheme has been designed and delivered to provide some flexibility to step-up care when and if required. In the immediate term, it will be managed as a regional resource to support the response to Covid-19, but in choosing to remodel an existing hospital facility it also provides a valuable longer-term asset for the provision of healthcare in the region. Andrew Murray Director at TODD Architects said: “The successful delivery of this vital healthcare facility was the product of an incredible collaboration between the Design team, Main Contractor Dowds Group, the Northern Trust and CPD Health Projects on a ‘live’ hospital site. This monumental team effort has achieved the highest possible standard of healthcare services within a tight timeframe. It has been amazing to witness the whole construction industry come together with purpose to support the tireless work of the NHS in this time of crisis.” Nicholas McKee, Build Manager at Dowds Group added: “We were delighted to once again partner TODD Architects on another landmark hospital project. The works necessitated completion to an exceptionally high quality and one of the tightest build programmes we’ve faced. We are very proud of the extended site team who went over and above to do their part to contribute to Northern Ireland’s fight against Covid-19.”
TODD Architects has won planning permission for Bedford Yard, an aparthotel and office development in the heart of Belfast City centre, opposite the BBC’s HQ on Ormeau Avenue. By refurbishing a vacant four-storey red brick former warehouse and adding a newbuild structure behind, the landmark development will deliver approximately 10,000sq ft lettable office space and a 132-room aparthotel with spectacular vistas across the city. The scheme is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the city. Working with client Andras House Ltd, a leading property development and hospitality company based in Belfast, TODD’s design for the aparthotel will add a new high-rise building to Belfast’s commercial core whilst securing and enhancing the appearance of the Victorian terrace that sits within the city’s historic Linen Conservation Area. Andrew Murray at TODD Architects, says: “The success of this planning application is welcome news for the local hospitality sector and Belfast city centre as a whole. The scheme will breathe life back into the historic frontage on Bedford Street, blending the modern design of the aparthotel with the traditional features in the existing terrace. “We believe Bedford Yard is the type of thoughtfully designed, high-quality, large-scale development desired by Belfast City, assisting growth and supporting other investment and the City’s’ ongoing regeneration, in a scheme that will provide vitality through its mixed-use nature.” The refurbishment and transformation of the Victorian linen warehouse will create two new ground floor restaurants with Grade A office accommodation above, delivering economic benefits to the historic heart of Belfast city centre. An open-air courtyard will be located between the existing terrace and proposed aparthotel, accessed through a gated opening that harks back to the traditional Belfast ‘entries’. The 13-storey aparthotel will offer panoramic views of the city from the upper floors, over the City Hall, Gasworks, Dublin Road and through to the Belfast Hills. Commenting on the design of the new aparthotel, Andrew Murray at TODD Architects, says: “The aparthotel’s mix of solid panels and glass has been balanced to create a light feeling building without becoming a ‘glass box’. The building’s form has been carved and cut back to respect neighbouring frontages and reduce its visual impact. Horizontal banding on each floor adds gravitas, whilst ethereal glazed panels encase the top floors. The colour palette – an ombre effect in muted bronze – helps sit the new building sympathetically beside the redbrick terrace, nearby listed buildings and the wider Linen Conservation Area.”
A design by TODD Architects for the £50 million regeneration of Queen’s Parade, a 13 acre (5.26 hectares) waterfront site in Bangor, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been submitted for planning. The scheme will see Bangor’s Marine Gardens returned to its heyday of Victorian seaside elegance whilst creating a vibrant mixed-use development of residential, hotel, office, retail and cultural and recreation floorspace in the heart of the town centre. The Queen’s Parade project, led by Developer Bangor Marine Ltd, is being developed in conjunction with the Department for Communities and Ards and North Down Council. It aims to create a premier year-round waterfront destination for Bangor and for Northern Ireland and is seen as critical to the future of the town and maximising the economic growth potential of the wider borough of Ards and North Down. It forms part of a combined investment of £110 million in Bangor over the next 10 years that is set to generate new jobs, shops, offices, homes and tourist attractions. Nigel Murray, Associate at TODD Architects, says: “This is a rare project, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to define the town for generations to come. The design takes its direction from the unique character of Bangor as a seaside town, marrying old and new, responding to the needs of residents and visitors alike. A prime objective has been to re-stitch the town back together, with TODD Architects’ design for Queen’s Parade placing great emphasis on maintaining and creating connectivity through linked lanes and streets, whilst also providing welcoming, social spaces. The scheme seeks to reconnect people to both the town and the sea, with one of the key elements being the creation of an elevated Market Square looking over the Marina and to Belfast Lough beyond, offering the town a different relationship to the water and creating a distinctive character of space to the seafront Marine Gardens. The waterfront will be re-activated by creating all year-round places and spaces to enjoy the water. A lively and inclusive public realm, elegant contemporary promenade and flexible outdoor event space are complemented by the residential and hotel elements which are key to providing 24/7 footfall. Continues Nigel: “Bringing new homes, office space and a hotel into the town centre also has a significant role to play in the regeneration of the area, improving the town centre’s viability by creating a critical mass of people in one place that can sustain the town’s other uses more effectively. At a time when the vitality of our high streets and town centres is of significant concern, these plans provide a template to reinvigorate the town centre through the delivery of a high quality mixed use proposal to secure long-term benefits for Bangor, creating employment, attracting visitors and stimulating further investment for the town and the local area.” Bangor Marine Limited is a joint venture partnership between NI property development company Karl Group and leading NI contractor Farrans, created specially to deliver the project. TODD Architects is the architect lead and, along with Turley, have led the delivery of the planning application submission for the Queen’s Parade area as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team including Atkins as transport engineers and Park Hood as landscape architects, with Wayne Hemingway as brand and vision consultant.
Recent strong growth has seen TODD Architects, one of the Architects Journal’s UK leading 100 practices, expand its London office with a move to larger premises in Fitzrovia. Explains London office Principal, Katie Parfitt: “Although TODD’s have had a London studio since the 1980s, we needed more space to support the growth of our London business. We’ve had considerable success, especially in the last nine months, winning several large, prestigious projects, including the delivery of major residential developments for Ballymore at Goodluck Hope on the River Thames and for Ardmore as part of the continuing Battersea Power Station redevelopment.” Continues Katie: “With a growing portfolio, we needed extra staff, taking onboard a new Part 1 Architect, Aesha Mehta, fresh from Westminster University as well as architect Stephen Duncan transferring from our Belfast office. With this extra talent, as well as plans to recruit additional staff, we needed to find more space.” TODD’s have leased the fourth floor at 18 Wells Street, a new build Grade A office space in the heart of Fitzrovia. With the new space fitted out by Rubicon Commercial, the essentially open plan office uses free standing shelving to break up the area without creating fixed partitions. A private balcony supplements the excellent natural light with views across the vibrant neighbourhood. Concludes Peter Minnis, TODD’s London Director: “We see this new move as the latest step in our expansion in London and the South East. Our involvement with projects like the Royal Wharf development that we recently completed for Ballymore, has given us a strong platform and we’ve been able to keep up that momentum with the Goodluck Hope and Battersea commissions”. Todd Architects’ new office can be found at: 18 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 3PG (0203 1469555)
