41-43 Brook Street, The Third Extension to Claridge’s,

The Townhouse

With the success of Claridge’s and the enormous popularity and client demand, Claridge’s acquired the lease to the east of the Hotel to convert it from offices to hotel and restaurant/ retail use. The front portion of the building is grade II listed, partially designed by Sir Charles Barry (architect of the Royal Opera House). The rear extended in the 1970s by Grosvenor forming a rather dull, brick building the plan being to demolish this and provide a brand new building for Claridge’s, 34 new suites and keys. Blair Associates Architecture Ltd were commissioned to develop the new wing. The new wing will be eight storeys constructed over the existing three basement Bath & Racquet Club. The floors will align perfectly with the floors of Claridge’s, offering access either through the hotel foyer but also to the front door of the townhouse. The architecture celebrates light and views by maximising window sizes with balconies in every room of the new wing. The building is finished in stone and glass with green roofs and terraces, with a swimming pool feature of the top duplex penthouse where possible green roof areas are provided to boost the local ecology. At ground floor facing Brook’s Mews, two new restaurants, one spanning over two floors and linking through to the beautiful courtyard as a centrepiece of the scheme. The listed building portion will enhance the character of the building originally designed in the 1780s, which before it was offices and before that club and for the hundred years previously it was actually a hotel and therefore there is some irony that it is now to return back to its original use. The building will have state apartments with lavish suites, drawing rooms, dining facilities and kitchens. At ground floor on Brook Street will be a large retail unit extending retail established at ground and lower ground at Claridge’s. The retail will have a large sweeping staircase descending into the lower ground portion of the space.