Cladding and countertops from
Welsh Slate feature at London’s latest luxury
hotel.
London’s latest luxury hotel, and the Hong Kong and
Shanghai Hotels’ first in the UK, has opened to much acclaim,
and with Welsh Slate at its very heart.
With
architecture conceived by Hopkins Architects to gracefully
harmonise with the heritage buildings of Belgravia, The
Peninsula London also embodies a sleek, spacious aesthetic
that floods its exquisite Peter Marino-designed interiors with
natural light. |
 |
| The world-class
190-room hotel, along with 25 opulent luxury residences,
centres around an expansive entrance courtyard off Grosvenor
Place, landscaped in the style of a classic English garden
with hand-crafted granite paving, cascading ivy, wisteria
vines and two 120-year-old Japanese maple trees. |
| It is here that
Welsh Slate’s own heritage probably makes its most obvious
mark, as the courtyard columns are faced with Cwt-y-Bugail
cladding. This cladding also features as individual slabs
measuring up to 2.2m long x 900mm high x 40mm thick on the
facades of the two storeys of penthouse apartments which top
the multiple storeys of Portland stone below. Welsh Slate also
tops the menu in the upper-level restaurant terraces where
Cwt-y-Bugail features on the waiters’ stations. |
| Cwt-y-Bugail Honed
slate is a premium Welsh slate known for its natural beauty
and durability. Its rich, dark grey colour, and smooth, Honed
finish complements the timeless elegance of The Peninsula
London perfectly. |
| The 40mm thick slate
used for the external cladding provides a stylish but robust
and weather-resistant layer of protection, while the slate
used for the internal cladding on the courtyard columns adds a
touch of sophistication and refinement. |
| Hopkins Architects
said: “Materials for this prestigious project were carefully
selected, with the project team visiting quarries across the
UK to select the very best. Welsh slate, used to form the
piers on the top two storeys, was selected from a quarry near
Anglesey, with individual slabs measuring up to 1.4m x 900mm
high x 40mm thick.” |
|
The
20mm thick slate used for the waiter stations in the
restaurant terraces is both durable and easy to clean, making
it ideal for a high-traffic area.
In addition to its aesthetic appeal, Cwt-y-Bugail Honed slate
offers many practical benefits, being a low-maintenance
material that is easy to clean and maintain. It is also
resistant to fire, water and staining, making it ideal for use
in a variety of applications.
|
| Hopkins Architects’
brief for The Peninsula London, was to create a hotel and
residences of exceptional quality. Looking across three Royal
Parks as well as the grounds of nearby Buckingham Palace, The
Peninsula London faces Wellington Arch and surrounding public
space. |
| The unique context
and history of this site, formerly a 1960s office block, have
been carefully explored and are reflected in the architectural
design, detailing and a materials palette which is limited to
the highest quality materials typical to the area. |
| The form of The
Peninsula London has been inspired by the Palazzo Farnese in
Rome - a ‘four square’ building with streets to either side,
facing onto a public space and overlooking greenery to the
rear elevation. It is simply and logically organised on four
wings with eight levels of accommodation arranged around the
central courtyard. |
| At the upper levels,
the building sets back to create a series of planted terraces
and beautiful external spaces, and to create bar and
restaurant space with leafy views over Hyde Park. A further
five floors sit below ground and house a spectacular
double-height ballroom, The Peninsula Spa and Wellness Centre,
facilities for the Residences, as well as car parking and
hotel servicing. |
| The scale and
ambition of this building presented Hopkins with an
extraordinary design challenge - to ensure the complex
functional requirements and back-of-house operations can run
in perfect tandem with the idea of a bespoke, hand-made
building which expresses luxury at every turn and creates a
welcoming and memorable experience for each and every resident
or guest. |
| The facades of the
primary storeys are composed of base bed Portland Stone,
historically used on London’s monuments and major civic
buildings, and generously proportioned to create a sense of
permanence and solidity. Throughout the building, materials
have been chosen for their warmth, elegant or tactile
properties. |
| After defining the
spatial arrangement and scale of the functions, Hopkins
Architects has coordinated and detailed the internal
architecture to ensure that the final product is seamless and
consistent in its vision of a new luxury aesthetic for London.
|
| The design process
involved extensive engagement with main contractor Sir Robert
McAlpine, Historic England and Westminster City Council. |
