150930 frith street boards

WELCOME

PROPOSALS FOR 53-55 FRITH STREET AND 8-10 BATEMAN STREET

Welcome to a public exhibition on the proposals for 53-55 Frith Street and 8-10 Bateman Street. Benesco Charity Ltd will shortly be submitting a planning application to Westminster City Council for the refurbishment of these buildings.

The intention is to extensively refurbish the buildings to provide improved office, residential, retail and restaurant accommodation.

We invite you to view the boards on display, which outline our proposals for the site, and we would be grateful if you could complete a feedback form to let us know your thoughts on the scheme.

Members of the development team are on hand to answer any questions you may have and to provide further information on the proposals.

EXISTING EXTERIOR

SITE MAP


THE ARCHITECT

STUDIO OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE

SODA. is a multi-disciplinary architecture studio specialising in bespoke architectural designs.

Founded in 2010 by principal architects Laura Sanjuan and Russell Potter, SODA. has established itself as a young and enthusiastic design studio with a growing reputation for creating beautifully crafted spaces on complex and complicated sites throughout central London and further afield.

Our diverse portfolio ranges from one-off houses to large-scale commercial developments, with restaurants, hotels and member’s clubs in between. We work on new sites and refurbish existing buildings. Our current client list varies from major landed estates and private property companies to first-time developers and private individuals.

We consider each and every project on a specific basis and use our expertise to successfully deliver projects from inception through to completion. Clarity of vision is paramount to our design approach – always seeking to maximise visual and experiential impact within the particular constraints of a given project. We apply our meticulous and passionate outlook to all our projects - exploring multiple options and listening to our clients’ needs and desires.

DEAN STREET, SOHO WALKER’S COURT, SOHO

KETTNER’S TOWNHOUSE


THE SITE

The site occupies a corner position on the junction of Frith Street and Bateman Street.

The site is located in the Central Activities Zone and the West End Stress Area, as well as the Soho Conservation Area.

This part of Soho is characterised by a rich mix of uses that cater for entertainment and a high proportion of creative businesses.

The site today is the result of the gradual amalgamation and infilling of the rear space between the three main buildings of the corner site.

51-54 Frith Street, built in the 19th Century, is a five-storey building with a restaurant at ground floor, and offices in the upper floors. The building is large-scale, with a flat and pitched roof behind the parapet.

55 Frith Street is a mixed-use, four-storey building, and is identified as an unlisted building of merit, which has been taken into account during the development of this scheme. The building is a smaller-scale brick building with many decorative details. The roof is a prominent gable and slated mansard with dormer windows returning into Bateman Street. The existing entrances to the flats are located on Bateman Street. There is a retail café at ground floor with residential above.

8-10 Bateman Street is a four-storey building mostly in office use. The ground floor has been combined with 55 Frith Street and is part of the retail café.

EXISTING VIEW OF 55 FRITH STREET

SOHO CONSERVATION AREA MAP MAP SHOWING LISTED BUILDINGS NEARBY

EXISTING VIEW OF 8-10 BATEMAN STREETEXISTING VIEW OF 51-54 FRITH STREET


EXISTING LAYOUT

The site is the result of the gradual merging over time of three separate buildings. As a result, there has never been a clear internal strategy, with the floorspace interrupted by structure and services resulting in inefficient layouts.

This particularly impacts the Ground Floor where the existing retail and restaurant units are squeezed into a rabbit warren of connected rooms.

On the upper floors, a lightwell remains to the rear of 55 Bateman Street, which is full of outdated ducting and servicing equipment. This space is underutilised and divides the internal office layouts.

Beneath the lightwell at Basement Level there is a whole section of ground which has never been excavated.

Therefore, the result is an awkward configuration of small spaces on all floors, which is preventing the realisation of the building’s full potential.

This also means that the asset is underperforming for the Charity.

Basement

First Floor

Second Floor

Ground Floor


PROPOSED LAYOUT

The refurbishment of the site would follow these steps:

• Consolidate and reconfigure the Basement and Ground Floor retail and office entrance space

• Infill the lightwell and provide a new core and supporting structure

• Remodel and improve the residences

• Extend the roof, infilling within existing Roof Level spaces

The introduction of a rational new structural and servicing strategy would mean any surplus structures could be removed and the lightwell infilled. This improves flexibility for the building to be subdivided, accommodating changing tenant requirements.

A roof extension, set back from the edge, will add further office space in a discreet and respectful manner.

The existing residences will be remodelled and improved during the works. A new access within the footprint of 8-10 Bateman Street means each of the three flats will be larger, providing two well-proportioned bedrooms.

Waste and bicycle storage facilities will be introduced in the basement for the commercial space and in the new residential core, creating a building that is fit for purpose today.

Basement

First Floor

Second Floor

Ground Floor


IMPROVED OFFICE SPACE

EXISTING LIGHTWELLS

The central and rear lightwells, products of the gradual infilling and joining together of the three buildings, divide the space awkwardly and add little amenity for office workers.

The central lightwell is underutilised and is currently full of outdated servicing equipment.

The rear lightwell has poor aspect and presents an opportunity to expand and open up the internal space.

PROPOSED INFILLED LIGHTWELLS

The proposed section infills the central lightwell and partially infills the rear lightwell, opening up the floor plan and adding further space.

The small terraces proposed at the rear of the offices at third and fourth floor add valuable outdoor amenity within the rear lightwell space and will be detailed to respect the privacy of existing tenants.

Green walls will be the landlord’s responsibility and part of the maintenance regime will be to ensure they are well tended.

EXISTING CROSS SECTION

PROPOSED CROSS SECTION PROPOSED REAR LIGHTWELL

EXISTING LIGHTWELL


IMPROVED RESIDENTIAL

Currently there are three ‘one-and-a-half-bedroom’ flats in need of investment, arranged over the first, second and third floors of 55 Frith Street.

The proposals seek to completely refurbish these flats, increasing their size by repositioning the core the west of the existing party wall.

New refuse and cycle storage will be provided, and more efficient and desirable accommodation will be created.

PROPOSED INTERIOR

EXISTING TYPICAL FLOORPLANEXISTING INTERIOR

EXISTING INTERIOR PROPOSED TYPICAL FLOORPLAN


EXISTING ROOFTOP

EXISTING ROOF FORM

The existing roofscape is muddled with no single architectural form. It is asymmetrical along the street frontages, reflecting the different building styles.

Plantrooms, associated services and maintenance access occupy most of the available roofspace. Some of this development sits close to the Bateman Street elevation. The equipment is messy and unsightly, and much of it is out of date and inefficient.

PROPOSED ROOF PLAN

• All extraneous massing and plant equipment at roof level will be removed

• All massing is significantly set back from edges

• Plant equipment is rationalised and screened within the roof enclosure

EXISTING EXTERIOR EXISTING ROOF FORM

EXISTING ROOF PLANT

PROPOSED ROOF PLAN SHOWING PLANT ENCLOSURE


PROPOSED ROOFTOP

Without a predominant architectural style, the proposed roof extension draws from the existing proportions and plot widths of the three buildings creating a coherent ‘top’ to the site.

The proposed rooftop:

• Is a striking, contemporary design

• Has a strong repetitive rhythm which creates a unified top to the three buildings across the site, whilst respecting each plot width

• Makes a clear division of top, middle and bottom elevation zones

• The highest point is lower than the existing highest point

• The faceted form provides a recessive profile and soft silhouette

• Improves private views and is significantly more aesthetically pleasing than the existing

PROPOSED EXTERIOR

EXAMPLE OF ROOF EXTENSION

PROPOSED BATEMAN STREET ELEVATION

EXAMPLE OF ROOF EXTENSION

PROPOSED ROOF EXTENSION


SUSTAINABILITY

Our approach to sustainability is a combination of passive design measures and the use of high efficiency solutions aimed to achieve comfortable internal environment whilst minimising energy consumption.

The design will incorporate:

• Enhanced building envelope U values, air tightness and minimisation of thermal bridging

• Reduction in area of existing external solid wall constructed elevations

• Use of low energy LED lighting with automatic control

• Use of free cooling/heating via the high COP heat recovery VRF system

• Provide terrace planting & green wall to external terraces


CONSTRUCTION LOGISTICS

BATEMAN STREET

FRITH

STREET

BATEMAN STREET

GANTRY AT FIRST FLOOR LEVEL

TRAVELATOR

TRAVELATOR


BASEMENT

GROUND

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

occupied

occupied

occupied

BATEMAN STREET

FRITH

STREET

BATEMAN STREET


TOWER CRANE


BASEMENT

GROUND

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

occupied

occupied

occupied

SCAFFOLDINGBBA

TOWER CRANE

BATEMAN STREET

FRITH

STREET

BATEMAN STREET


TRAVELATOR

TRAVELATOR


BASEMENT

GROUND

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

occupied

occupied

occupied

BATEMAN STREET

FRITH

STREET

BATEMAN STREET


TOWER CRANE


BASEMENT

GROUND

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

occupied

occupied

occupied

SCAFFOLDINGBBA

TOWER CRANE

PHASE ONE - PLAN

PHASE TWO - PLAN

PHASE ONE - SECTION

PHASE TWO - SECTION

Construction logistics will fall into two phases:

PHASE 1 - BASEMENT GROUND AND FIRST

• Full width pavement gantry at first floor level on Bateman Street only• Pavements will remain operational below gantry where possible• Travellator for spoil removal from basement exiting at first floor level• Truck access below gantry in Bateman Street• Activities involve piling via mini pile, demolition using minimum vibration

techniques, and concrete and steel frame construction.• Steelwork delivered via Hiab lorry onto bogeys off Bateman Street, and

pulleys and hooks suspended from first floor.

PHASE 2 - SECOND FLOOR TO ROOF

• Extend full pavement width gantry at First Floor level onto Frith Street and erect full height access scaffold for complete perimeter on both streets

• Pavements will remain operational below gantry where possible• Erect luffing job tower crane in existing lightwell founded on new

foundations from Phase 1• Deliveries at same position on Bateman Street• Spoil removed at First Floor level in same location via access below existing

lightwell• Activities involve demolition, façade retention internally, steel and concrete

frame erection.

Contractors will be required to adhere to the Westminster Considerate Contractors scheme with fully developed detailed sequence and method statements provided for all activities.


THANK YOU

THANK YOU

Thank you for attending our public exhibition. We hope that you have found this information useful. To summarise, our proposals will:

• Improve the retail and restaurant units at ground and basement levels

• Improve the street frontage

• Refurbish the residential units

• Provide flexible modern office accommodation

• Rationalise the roof level with a new office floor

• Be considerate of existing tenants who may remain in the building whilst works are carried out

• Introduce operational protocols for the new restaurant to help respect local amenity

• Introduce a coordinated servicing and management regime for all tenants to comply with

NEXT STEPS

Benesco Charity Ltd will shortly be submitting a planning application to Westminster City Council to seek permission to redevelop the site.

It is important that we understand the views of the local community, we would therefore be grateful if you could fill in our feedback form to let us know your thoughts on the proposals. The form can be left with staff, or sent to us later using the FREEPOST address.

If you have any further questions or would like more information, please contact us at:

E [email protected] T 020 3697 4294

Westminster City Council will also consult residents, businesses and the local community as part of the application process. Westminster’s officers will collate all feedback received to form part of its report to the planning committee – any feedback given here will be passed to Westminster City Council as part of the application.

PROPOSED ROOF EXTENSION INTERIOR

PROPOSED ROOF FORM

Engineering

150930 frith street boards