THE developer behind the multi-million refurbishment of Birmingham’s Grand Hotel has given a glimpse of what the scheme’s new office space will look like.

Hortons’ Estate said the refurbishment of the Grade II listed hotel on Colmore Row remained on-going, but the office accommodation was now complete following a £1.5m upgrade.

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The offices – part of the original Thomson Plevins designed building completed in 1879 – occupy the first and second floors overlooking Colmore Row at the front and a private internal garden terrace at the rear. Originally two separate office zones with independent access – Imperial Chambers and Whitehall Chambers – the two have been merged to create a single interconnecting space called Imperial and Whitehall.

Although the Grand Hotel closed in 2002, the offices continued to be occupied until 2014 when tenants vacated to allow Hortons’ to undertake the makeover.

Original features, including ornate glazing, tiled fireplaces and staircases have been retained. The large sash windows have been refurbished and areas of internal brickwork left exposed.

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A new lift, new lighting, video entry systems, air conditioning, network cabling and superfast broadband have been added, along with communal kitchens and a shower room. Lobby areas have been timber lined in sapele hardwood.

The project was managed by James Slater, who heads the building surveying team at Hortons’ Estate. He describes working on The Grand’s refurbishment as “the project of a lifetime”.

He added: “To strip back the interior, retain original character features and then bring the space up to modern occupational standards was a real journey, but I’m thrilled with the result.

“The wide corridors, with their individually crafted LED lights and bespoke timber cladding, give the common areas a real luxury feel whilst each of the offices is individual, with its own unique quirks, such as high ceilings and exposed brickwork walls showing the scars of the building’s history.

“The accommodation is a fusion of period splendor and contemporary, efficient space, creating what we believe is a stand-out product in the city.”

Hortons’ worked with BPN Architects and Greswolde Construction to reconfigure the space and deliver 10,000 sq ft of Grade A offices. Suites are sized from 183 sq ft up to 2,874 sq ft, with potential to combine some of the suites to create larger working spaces.

Johnson Fellows and Lambert Smith Hampton have been appointed to market the space.

The ground floor retail units along Colmore Row are also nearing completion, with signed occupiers including Gusto, The Alchemist and Crockett & Jones expected to begin fit-out shortly.

Hortons’ has invested £14m to date restoring The Grand’s facades, installing a new roof, remodeling the offices and the ten ground floor retail/leisure units along Colmore Row.
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