The London Borough of Hounslow gives the go-ahead to the multi-million-pound regeneration of the iconic West London site
Gillette Corner, one of West London’s most striking landmarks and a Grade II listed building, is set for a multi-million-pound regeneration project following planning permission grants from the Mayor of London and from the London Borough of Hounslow. Conservation, led by HOK International, will begin in 2008.
Gillette Corner currently lies redundant, but conservation plans will see the business site transformed into a new hotel and business park while maintaining the building’s iconic exterior. Once home to Gillette’s headquarters, the building was created in 1936 for the production of razor blades. Production at Gillette Corner ended in May 2006 following which, the site was purchased and developed by the Bonnington Group. The extensive refurbishment of the 1930s site, as well as new construction in the business park, will drive economic and environmental regeneration of the area.
The hotel and business complex is expected to bring the equivalent of over 2,200 full-time jobs to the area and the project will also deliver substantial improvements to local public transport. The building’s restoration and development has also been designed to meet the city’s Mayoral targets, which require new developments to cut their carbon emissions by sourcing 20% of energy through onsite renewable sources. The design includes motion-sensitive and low-energy lighting throughout.
The building’s 1930s design presented very specific challenges when designing the hotel’s 505 bedrooms, conference rooms, swimming pool and health centre. While the historic front building contains four floors with very high ceilings, the newly built rear will house five floors and reconciling these was one of the design’s most complicated aspects.
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