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Premier Inn New Marlborough Yard 

Blending with the Village Context

A
Architecture

Located between Waterloo Station and Tate Modern, in the heart of the London Borough of Southwark, this 274-key new build hotel lies between the busy Cut with its shops, restaurants, bars and cultural entertainment and the quiet residential area of Ufford Street.

Our design took careful account of the context of the new hotel, bringing some of the Cut’s liveliness into the public realm to the north, while grouping the quieter sleeping accommodation closest to the residential area.

The two separate blocks of accommodation are connected via an elegant light weight glazed bridge link.

Our design creates generous living spaces that are flooded with natural light and offer surprising spatial relationships between the inside and the outside.

On behalf of client Frogmore, and in collaboration with Whitbread, we were able to include a new public park and courtyard for the community to enjoy, as part of the development. A public route between the blocks (the re-instatement of the lost Marlborough Street) leads through to a verdant pocket park and New Marlborough Yard, designed in the spirit of other ‘discoverable’ courtyard spaces such as Ham Yard, St Christopher’s Place and Shepherd Market.

The pocket park incorporates seating, sculpture and abundant planting to offer respite and a sense of place within the hubbub of city life. Native and ornamental plants foster biodiversity throughout the scheme and a mosaic of wildflower and sedum green roofs provide a habitat for wildlife.

The 9800 sq. ft development includes a Bar + Block restaurant on the ground floor which welcomes the local community and hotel guests, and generates an active frontage along the pathway, with an al fresco dining area spilling informally from the interior into the courtyard.

Our design reinterprets local materials and characteristics into an under-stated, contemporary piece of quality architecture. Three colours, textures and tones of brickwork (glazed green, yellow London stock and pale white matt) reflect the local Victorian industrial vernacular and public houses and give a light, delicate façade. A repetition of bay elements creating a structure and vertical rhythm. Perforated metal panels and detailing provide a subtle industrial reference.

The development was designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent rating

New Marlborough Yard is a scheme which challenges perceptions about what branded budget hotels like Premier Inn look like and contribute in central London.

This is a complex and sensitive site and our design has been through several iterations, each taking on board comments from council officers and local stakeholders. The approved scheme is a thoughtful and outward looking development that is respectful to its context and neighbours. The pocket park will encourage locals and hotel guests to meander through the re-instated roadway and spend time in the restaurant and courtyard.

Mark Wood Partner at Studio Moren

Awards and nominations

  • Building Design
    Architect of the Year (Retail and Leisure)
    Premier Inn New Marlborough Yard
    Finalist
    2022
  • Built Design Awards
    Architectural Design
    Premier Inn New Marlborough Yard
    Honorable Mention
    2021
Client
Frogmore
Location
London, United Kingdom
Status
Completed 2020
Uses
Hotel
Size
274 keys
Creds
BREEAM Excellent
Photos
Whitbread