Quadrant 1 London, Cafe Royale Building, Architect, Architecture News, Photo

Quadrant 1 London : Piccadilly Architecture

Crown Estate Redevelopment at Piccadilly design by Allies and Morrison Architects

3 Jun 2008

Quadrant 1 London

Planning Win For Allies And Morrison Designed Scheme To Redevelop The Crown Estate’s Quadrant 1 Block

Quadrant 1

The Crown Estate, Allies and Morrison partnership, has successfully obtained planning approval for redevelopment of The Crown Estate’s Quadrant 1 block; the southernmost building on the east side of Regent Street incorporates the old County Fire Office and the famous Café Royal.

Quadrant 1 photo © Adrian Welch

The redevelopment forms part of The Crown Estate’s Quadrant scheme and will see the block transformed into a 160-bedroom, five star, luxury hotel. 1,500 sq m of prime Regent Street retail space will also be established at ground and basement level. The scheme involves the retention the entire building façade and also many of the listed rooms, including the famous Grill Room and Pompadour Suite. The previously lost Ten Room will be reconstituted to form a dramatic double height entrance to the new hotel on Air Street.

The project forms part of the mixed-use redevelopment of the Café Royal, Regent Palace Hotel and Quadrant Arcade blocks and is the most ambitious redevelopment ever undertaken on Regent Street. It will open up the southern end of Regent Street and create a 44,000 sq m public realm area, including the establishment of a significant traffic-free area on Glasshouse Street. After Trafalgar Square, the Quadrant will represent the most significant improvement to the quality of London’s public realm seen in the West End over the last 30 years.

The planning approval coincides with the completion of the construction phase of the redevelopment of the block opposite on the west side of Regent Street. Here Allies and Morrison has designed a scheme that provides new retail accommodation at ground basement and mezzanine floors, and offices arranged around an atrium above. The project also comprises residential apartments, which are located within the mansard roof facing onto Regent Street. Major landscape improvements to Swallow Street will create a new and vibrant piece of public space linking Regent Street with Piccadilly.

Quadrant Redevelopment London – information from S&R 030608

Quadrant 1 architects : Allies and Morrison

Piccadilly Circus Photo © Adrian Welch