Birmingham hotel set to almost double in size

A BIRMINGHAM city centre hotel is set to almost double in size under ambitious new plans submitted to the city council.

Liverpool-based Sanguine Hospitality has had architects prepare plans for a two-storey extension to the Royal Angus Hotel at St Chads Queensway.

The move would see the 1970s-built hotel transformed from a 133-bedroom facility to one with 226 rooms.

The design brief prepared by Liverpool architects Falconer Chester Hall also proposes improvements to the internal layout of the building as well as its exterior.

It said the improvements would create a hotel amenity more suited to a hotel in such a prominent location.

Prior to designing the brief, the architects consulted with structural engineers to see if what was being proposed was feasible, given the age of the building and its location close to a busy city interchange.

The proposal is to create a two-storey extension to the building, to match the current appearance and footprint.

Snow Hill Plaza, previously known as Kennedy Tower, adjoins the hotel. Completed in 1973, the original building comprised of a 21-storey tower atop a two-storey podium. The tower, which was originally scheduled for demolition, has now been converted into a Holiday Inn Express Hotel, with the podium infilling the corner.

Interlinking the tower and the Royal Angus is a now vacant snooker hall, while a former petrol station was situated beneath what was then the Thistle hotel. The filling station, which latterly served as a car showroom, is currently vacant.

As part of the Kennedy Tower refurbishment, Falconer Chester Hall was involved in the redesigning of the building’s façade, which has benefited from a contemporary face lift. As well as this, major public realm work was implemented to ensure footpaths around the building were improved.

The brief said that following on from the tower’s completion, the development of the original building was considered essential.

“The external façades require an upgrade and the internal layout needs improving to offer guests high quality facilities throughout. The elevational treatment of the existing building is not in-keeping with the surrounding context and has become disjointed since the development of the adjacent tower. The adjacent tower has strong vertical elements which emphasise its tall slender form,” it said.

A similar strategy will be used on the Royal Angus, with the smaller ‘tower’ aspect characterising the scheme.

Existing window locations will be retained but replaced with new framed glazing units with spandrel panels where applicable. The corner ‘tower’ element will be re-clad improving the existing facade whilst signalling the site’s entrance.

“The central ‘body’ of the hotel will benefit from improvements to the façades and a new single storey glazed extension to the existing third floor terrace,” adds the brief.

“A two-storey extension will incorporate large feature windows to reinforce the vertical rhythm on the existing streetscape.”

A single storey glazed extension at the third floor level, fronting St. Chads Queensway will provide an improved aspect above what is proposed as a new gym.