Page8
The stunning conversion of an existing office building into to an impressive new flagship four-star boutique hotel near Trafalgar Square, London, has been skilfully accomplished in a project to create the luxurious 138-bedroom Page8 Hotel.
Page Hotels launched its first hotel in Hong Kong in January 2019 and this is its first opening in the UK market.
Located at the south end of St. Martin’s Lane, the hotel includes a ground floor coffee shop and a beautiful rooftop terrace with restaurant and al fresco bar overlooking some of central London’s most iconic landmarks, including Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, the Colosseum theatre and the National Gallery.
The original building was constructed in the late 1950s and was extensively refurbished in 1998 as an office and retail space. The conversion project has left the building’s exterior mostly unchanged, with the addition of new glazing throughout and a modest newly created entrance to the hotel incorporating Art Deco styles.
The interior, however, has been splendidly transformed by a concept created by Argent Design Ltd, with the fit out and construction works undertaken by Willmott Dixon. The scheme included the refurbishment of the building’s original five storeys complete with a fifth floor restaurant, and the creation of a new floor to house the rooftop bar.
Preparatory works comprised stripping out the existing building, the addition of new lift shafts and the construction of the new rooftop space. Nicola Fontanella, Founder and Creative Director of Argent Design Ltd said:
“The design brief involving the conversion of an office building into a flagship boutique hotel resulted in a concept and story founded on the heritage and historical references of its iconic location next to Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column and its lion statues.”
The interior features a raised ground floor lobby with high ceilings facing the National Portrait Gallery. The colour palette within this area is mainly in natural shades that blend harmoniously with the pale timber. Nicola Fontanella commented:
“The interiors emphasise the heritage of the area with full height ecru lacquered panelling throughout, and are geared to creating a warm and welcoming ambience with a residential feel.”
Key design features within the lobby include ribbed timber veneer walls, British chevron timber flooring and bronze metalwork detailing throughout.
The four storeys above the ground floor host 130 guestrooms – each with a unique and totally individual layout. Given the existing original structure, this required very careful arrangement of the layout.
The guestrooms inherit the same design language with ecru lacquered panelling, classic herringbone inspired black and white carpeting, ribbed upholstered blue leather bed headboards and timber veneered wardrobes. The colour palette is predominantly ecru and blue, reminiscent of a beautiful summer day in London.
Bathrooms feature marble porcelain tiling and incorporate a vanity unit. All materials used are influenced by the stone of Trafalgar Square, creating a ‘solid’, timeless feel enhanced by ribbed metalwork detailing and marble recessed sinks.
Nicola Fontanelle concluded: “The nature of the project itself transformed the venue and created a ‘buzz’ which did not exist before – fitting perfectly with the nearby landmark square.
“It was necessary for us to play a fundamental role through all stages of the project to ensure that it was delivered exactly to our design specification.
“The project has delivered a good result, and working closely with the main contractor helped us to guarantee the desired outcome.
“This was a prestigious project to work on – near to an iconic landmark in the best capital in the world. The client is extremely satisfied and loves the end result.”
Graham Shaw, managing director of Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “We have a solid track record in office to hotel conversions, especially in towns and cities, with an experienced team who know the particular challenges this work entails. This is also another big investment in London as one of the world’s top destinations for visitors and we were proud to play our part in stimulating further growth for our capital.”
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