Z Hotel
Our Projects
Z Hotel
Creating Contrast
Managed and completed by KKMG Building Services, the Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road in London, has provided an additional 110 room hotel in a sought after location.
Z Hotels are a group of convenient, city-centre hotels with compact, yet luxury rooms, quality interiors and great service, all situated in ideal locations for tourists and commuters. The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road, located right in the heart of Soho, is actually on Poland Street, surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants and just a 5 minute walk from Tottenham Court Road station.
Formerly a post-war 20,500 sq ft building dating back to 1959, the building comprised of a karaoke bar, restaurant and offices. It has since been transformed using a palette of cast stone and facing brick to satisfy planning constraints and extended to provide over 100 hotel rooms and an ancillary café.
Concept
Planning Resolution secured planning permission for the hotel, which required extensive discussions regarding the facade materials, due to its location within a conservation area. Collaborative design discussions were held between the teams from Vobster Architectural, Taylor Maxwell, the planners and main contractors.
The purpose of a conservation area is to “protect and enhance areas of special architectural or historic interest” and “to minimise the loss of the existing built and natural environment”. To do so, additional development control is placed on new works, which often covers the design and style of the building and therefore, the materials that can be used.
For the Z Hotel, it was essential that the materials were a high-quality and the overall finish enhanced the building and surrounding area. The concept was to select a palette of traditional materials that could be detailed and re-engineered in a contemporary way to suit the vibrant, energetic area of Soho. It was for these reasons that wet cast stone and facing bricks were chosen.
Completion
To create the project design vision, a traditional red facing brick supplied by Taylor Maxwell was selected, along with wet cast stone in Portland White, supplied by Vobster Architectural. Wet cast stone is a highly durable material that can be used as a structural element, without any additional support, while maintaining the natural beauty of stone.
Vobster Architectural were heavily involved with the design and detailing of the stone units prior to being manufactured. Assistance with the support and restraint design formed part of the remit prior to supply, therefore the overall material package meant that once the stonework was on site, it could be installed efficiently and successfully, proving a success for both the contractor and client.
Due to its durable nature, the wet cast stone was used for all of the Z Hotel’s window surrounds
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Due to its durable nature, the wet cast stone was used for all of the Z Hotel’s window surrounds, along with its grand main entrance way. The Portland White stone provides a clean and crisp border for the large glass windows and doors and contrasts with the traditional red brickwork of the facade. Overall, these materials help to reflect both the existing and recent developments in the vicinity, providing a traditional finish with a contemporary twist.
The Z Hotel is just a 5 minute walk from three key stations, Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus and just 200 yards from the iconic Carnaby Street. Other popular points of interest within walking distance are the Queen’s Theatre, Old Compton Street, Piccadilly Theatre, Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue and Prince Edward Theatre.
