Noho Square | Westminster | On hold

[Luke]

(Note these renders show the original scheme before the design alterations that got the scheme approved)

Candys' Middlesex hospital gets green light
15:01 | 07.09.07

The Candy brothers' CPC Group were last night given planning permission for their 891,000 sq ft scheme at the site of the former Middlesex hospital.

Westminster City Council unanimously approved the scheme after it was reported on propertyweek.com last Wednesday that the application was likely to pass through with ease.

The development, designed by Ken Shuttleworth of Make Architects, will provide 273 new homes and 355,000 sq ft of offices in London’s West End.

Candy & Candy founders Nick and Christian Candy toasted the achievement and applauded staff when they heard the news at 10.30pm last night, at the Royal Parks Foundation fundraiser they were sponsoring in the name of their other project, One Hyde Park.

Nick Candy, said: ‘Ken Shuttleworth and his team at Make Architects have created an exemplary design which will now rejuvenate the existing area and offer a fresh aspect to the whole experience of city living.

‘It is a remarkable achievement to have gained planning approval for such a major scheme in such a short amount of time.’

A decision had been deferred on the mixed-use development, which will be known as Noho Square, because of concerns about its height and bulk.

Make subsequently revised the plans and among the changes made was a re-pitching of the roof at a shallower angle, reducing the size of the scheme on the top floors.

Savills director Simon Stone, who advised on the scheme, added: ‘We are obviously delighted with the Westminster’s resolution to grant consent for this important project. ‘The team has found a great solution for the site which will transform this part of central London.’

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.as...de=3094941&c=1

From Make's site -

This 1.2 hectare Middlesex Hospital presents an opportunity to create an exemplary mixed use urban block in central London. The scheme replaces an accumulation of 1920s hospital buildings with three blocks of accommodation enclosing a green space that provides a new public amenity for the area. The divisions between the buildings extend adjoining streets as routes into the garden, where hospital’s Grade II* listed Victorian Gothic chapel is preserved. The northern and western buildings house the residential accommodation, offices are housed in the eastern building and retail units are located along the southern perimeter at ground level. Exterior elevations reflect the surrounding urban fabric, featuring red sandstone cladding and slate mansard roofs. By contrast, the interior elevations employ a palette of white opaque and clear glass accented by colour, ensuring that the garden area has a distinctly different character and aspect. In addition to the efficiencies offered by creating a dense mixed used scheme in the heart of the city, the scheme generates its own energy using a CHP central system. Biomass boilers are used throughout, and green sedum roofs limit rainwater run-off.

[Luke]

From an article posted in the main forum by London Lad which contained further detail on the changes -

The 69-page document says the design of the mixed-use scheme at Mortimer Street, Soho, has been changed in two ways.

The document says: ‘First the footprints of the buildings have been reduced and the gaps between them enlarged to provide wider, and greener, access to the site.

‘This would give a greater perception of space around the structure which would reduce the impression of bulk and officers consider this to be a welcome improvement.

‘Second, in part, the buildings have been reduced in terms of height and bulk.’

The reductions in height and bulk involve pitching the top floor of the proposed building at a shallower angle the council said would remove bulk and improve the visual impact on the surrounding area.

[mulattokid]

That poor little church

[DarJoLe]

It's the mortuary I think.

[Manuel]

I so hate the rooftops. Looks like a chinese development trying to mimic european architecture.

The internal public space and the façades there looks much more interesting.

[NothingBetterToDo]

This is absolutely dreadful - it is replacing the rather grand Victorian hospital with an overbearing pile of crap.

Yet again London has been let down by planners, developers and English Heritage, who were obviously too busy trying to stop skyscrapers replacing 80's eye sores to lodge an objection to this hulk of a building

[jayo]

Originally Posted by NothingBetterToDo

This is absolutely dreadful - it is replacing the rather grand Victorian hospital with an overbearing pile of crap.

Yet again London has been let down by planners, developers and English Heritage, who were obviously too busy trying to stop skyscrapers replacing 80's eye sores to lodge an objection to this hulk of a building

lol. I know what you mean

[ill tonkso]

its kinda crap isnt it.

[PresidentBjork]

Originally Posted by NothingBetterToDo

This is absolutely dreadful - it is replacing the rather grand Victorian hospital with an overbearing pile of crap.

Yet again London has been let down by planners, developers and English Heritage, who were obviously too busy trying to stop skyscrapers replacing 80's eye sores to lodge an objection to this hulk of a building

It's so bloody true, look at the hell something as grand and beautiful as the shard has had to go through, yet it seems any mediocre low rise can make it. Is it because of that architectural two fingers to the surrounding area that mansard roof makes? Looking like its deliberately doing a bad impression of the surrounding buildings as a tease.

What goes through the minds of architects that get off with designing these trollops?
"OOO - lets put in some curves, that makes it modern! oh wait we need to pay lip service to English Heritage um.... I know! stick some shitty half arsed mansard roof on it, and to top it of, some nice 80's brutalist windows. Man, - we're good."

[El_Greco]

Progress?No not really.

[LDN_EUROPE]

Nice court yard. Could have been a nice spot for a skyscraper.

[DarJoLe]

What would you design then? Keeping in mind you have a developer who wants a substantial profit from the scheme, and a building that conforms to all the latest sustainability and safety laws.

[PresidentBjork]

Originally Posted by DarJoLe

What would you design then?

Something better.

[Bob]

I like it. I never much loved the hospital. I think it's good the fact it's mixed use. I think it is a bit of a pity the outside is not as exciting as the courtyard in the middle (which better be open to the public??? Anyone know?).

[johnnypd]

Originally Posted by DarJoLe

What would you design then? Keeping in mind you have a developer who wants a substantial profit from the scheme, and a building that conforms to all the latest sustainability and safety laws.

tart up the hospital, keep most the facades, redevelop some of the interior, turn it into offices, apartments, a hotel, lease out part to nearby UCL, put in some ground floor shops and so on. would be commonsense in most places, but not london sadly.

[randolph]

The street facade looks dreadful - dull - dull - dull - I can't believe MAKE are behind this - what a let down!

[El_Greco]

Originally Posted by johnnypd

tart up the hospital, keep most the facades, redevelop some of the interior, turn it into offices, apartments, a hotel, lease out part to nearby UCL, put in some ground floor shops and so on. would be commonsense in most places, but not london sadly.

Yes.

[randolph]

I can't believe that the old buildings can't be coverted into flats, offices etc. Leave it alone! Bit by bit we will chip away at our city, taking down buildings we should preserve and too often replacing them with poor and unispiring architecture! Where are EH when they are needed?

[london lad]

Originally Posted by johnnypd

tart up the hospital, keep most the facades, redevelop some of the interior, turn it into offices, apartments, a hotel, lease out part to nearby UCL, put in some ground floor shops and so on. would be commonsense in most places, but not london sadly.

Slight problem with this is its an old NHS hospital not particularly suited to conversion & is a hox potch mix of buildings from a few era's ,as are most NHS hospitals. I posted an overhead image of this site when the same discussion came up in the London thread way back which showed it was a bit of a mess. I can't say i'm particularly impressed with certain aspects of this MAKE scheme . The renderings are not very good so its difficult to judge it. Until we can get a design & access statement (has anybody go on the westminster website to get it??) i'll reserve judgment until then.

[johnnypd]

Originally Posted by london lad

Slight problem with this is its an old NHS hospital not particularly suited to conversion & is a hox potch mix of buildings from a few era's ,as are most NHS hospitals. I posted an overhead image of this site when the same discussion came up in the London thread way back which showed it was a bit of a mess. I can't say i'm particularly impressed with certain aspects of this MAKE scheme . The renderings are not very good so its difficult to judge it. Until we can get a design & access statement (has anybody go on the westminster website to get it??) i'll reserve judgment until then.

i don't really buy that and i think it betrays a lack of imagination on your part to emphasise the problems rather than the potential of refurbishment. the main facades could be retained and the insides redeveloped, while smaller, later additions that detract from the overall balance of the structure, as well as most of the interior structures can be demolished. would also be a good idea to add some modern elements where possible, for instance adding a glazed floor or two on the shorter facades, or an inner courtyard not unlike what is being proposed already. even this new scheme proposes that some of the smaller buildings' facades are maintained so it shows that it is possible.

there's going to be problems renovating any building or site but it doesn't mean that renovation shouldn't be done. likewise, youre going to encounter problems demolishing such a huge site and then building anew in central london, but i don't see anyone arguing against demolition anywhere on those grounds.

some of the adjoining buildings on the site: