Creed Court

Location

London

Main contractor

McAleer and Rushe

Products

Glazed Bricks

Facing Bricks

Overview

Creed Court is a landmark development located just 150 metres from St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of London. The project involved the demolition of a late Victorian office building with sensitive retention of its Grade II listed facade, making way for a new 150-bedroom, four-star hotel, Lost Property, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection. The scheme comprised the construction of two basement levels and six-storeys above ground, offering guest accommodation, a restaurant and bar, a gym and a landscaped internal courtyard. Its prominent location within a conservation area required careful integration of new architectural elements with the existing urban fabric.

Taylor Maxwell worked closely with main contractors McAleer and Rushe throughout the project, supplying a tailored selection of facing and glazed bricks that contributed to the building’s visual identity whilst aligning with planning and heritage requirements.

Concept

The project’s design focused on harmonising the new structure with the retained elements of the original building and its historic surroundings. The hotel design features a partially retained and refurbished Grade II listed facade, behind which a new concrete frame structure rises to six storeys.

When selecting the facade materials for the rest of the development, the architects focused on creating a structure that blends seamlessly into the beautiful surroundings of St Paul’s. Glazed bricks in buff and grey colours were chosen for the ground floor frontage, creating a striking street-level presence. Above, a palette of red, buff and yellow facing bricks was used to echo the local vernacular, integrating traditional materials with contemporary construction.

One of the new facades features yellow brickwork punctuated by red brick arches and cast stone detailing, including cills and window surrounds. Other cast stone accents were utilised to connect the glazed brickwork on the ground floor and the yellow brick facade above, creating a unified and elegant design. Another elevation incorporates a red brick palette with extensive cast stone detailing and a bespoke emblem on the ground floor, elements that together reinforce the building’s connection to its historical context.

Completion

The Creed Court development was delivered over a four-year programme, despite the added complexity of COVID-19 disruptions and the logistical challenges of its central London location. We worked closely with the main contractors to coordinate timely deliveries of materials, a crucial aspect of the programme given the site’s constrained access points and narrow surrounding streets, helping to minimise disruption to the project timeline.

When completed in 2022, the Lost Property hotel opened as a distinctive addition to Hilton’s Curio Collection, as well as associated restaurant, bar and café amenities for guests and the public. Its elegant interiors and classic architectural features mirror the timeless aesthetic of the original building and its prominent location. The visual impact of the facade, with the blend of different materials, reflects the collaborative effort behind the design and material specification.