Scheme would see demolition of inter-war building for office-led redevelopment
Orms-designed proposals to redevelop an inter-war office building that fronts both Soho Square and Dean Street are being recommended for approval by Westminster City Council planning officers.
The practice’s designs would deliver a new building with 8,269sq m of floorspace, a boost of around 15% on the current structure. It would also deliver three levels of roof terraces and a new pedestrian route between Dean Street and Soho Square. The scheme is targeting a BREEAM “outstanding” rating.
Orms’ proposals for the eight-storey-plus-basement building were drawn up for US property firm Hines, which owns the current structure. It houses a Tesco supermarket on Dean Street in a section that was reclad in the 1990s.
The current building’s Soho Square elevation is white and has Art Deco styling, however the replacement block – which would be next to the grade II*-listed French Protestant Church – would be in dark terracotta-coloured concrete.
The basement and ground-floor levels of the proposals are for retail and restaurant use, with two new units and a double-height events space inspired by the Soho Bazaar indoor market that operated on the site from the 19th century.
The Soho Society objects to the proposals, complaining about the loss of the supermarket and describing the façade designs as inappropriate for the Soho Conservation Area.
Recommending the plans for approval at next week’s committee meeting, city council planning officers said Orms’ designs would deliver around 1,764sq m of new office space to support Westminster’s economic growth and a building with exemplary environmental credentials.
They said the practice’s designs for the Soho Square elevation of the scheme had finer detailing than the Dean Street façade and were considered to make a contribution to the conservation area that is “comparable to the limited contribution made by the existing building”.
Officers acknowledged that the mass of the new building’s upper storeys would be “bulkier” when viewed from Soho Square.
But they concluded: “In terms of design, townscape and heritage impacts, the proposed development will enhance the contribution made by the building to the appearance of the street scene.
“The less than substantial harm as a result of the increase in height is outweighed by the public benefits that the scheme will deliver.”
Westminster’s Planning Committee meets to consider the proposals at 6.30pm on Tuesday next week. Members are also being asked to approve listed building consents related to the redevelopment.
Hines is acting as the development manager. Project manager is M3 Consulting; planning consultant is Gerald Eve; structural engineer is Ramboll; QS is Gardiner & Theobald; acoustic consultant is Buro Happold; BIM coordinator is WSP; and sustainability consultant is Cundall.
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