Mackay + Partners design new Minories hotel for City of London

The scheme replaces an unoccupied 1960s office building with a state of the art 258 room hotel, providing much needed new facilities in this area of The City.

Jonathan Fletcher Managing Director, Endurance Land said, “The bold and imaginative design by Architects Mackay +Partners was warmly welcomed by the City of London Planning Committee. It comprises a composition of two blocks; one lower, facing the street, and one taller, rising to 18 storeys and defining the skyline. The lower block utilizes a rain screen cladding system manufactured from sold surface material, the first of its type in the UK. It will give the building a strongly decorative and translucent appearance along Minories, especially at night, when it will be back lit and gently glow. The taller block is composed of a palette of clear and highly insulated coloured glass cladding, which add to the distinctive form of the building on the City’s skyline.”
 
Architect Ken Mackay said, ‘’Our design for Minories respects and enhances the street level activities, and also creates a strong building form which builds upon the City’s other recently completed portfolio of tall buildings. The building’s gently LED glowing façade will literally act as a beacon for the regeneration of this area of The City. At street level the building opens outwards, with the hotel’s fully glazed restaurant and lobbies. The solid surface exterior is brought throughout the interior public space”
 
The building utilizes a number of intelligent building systems to help achieve a BREEAM excellent energy rating. These include the design of highly thermally efficient facades with just 35% glazing, heat recovery systems, and green roofs to help thermal efficiency and mitigate rainwater run off. Demolition is expected to start in end of 2012 with the new hotel scheduled to open early 2014.