Originally designed by Mewès and Davis, also architects of The Ritz, the Edwardian Inveresk House was once home to the Morning Post newspaper. An early example of steel frame construction in London and prominently located on the corner of the Strand and Aldwych, Historic England assigned a Grade II Listing in 1986. Sadly, it was also deserted and boarded up, until renowned hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray saw potential for adaptive re-use.

 

His brief was simple: create the best hotel in London, ‘classic, contemporary and comfortable.’ Norwegian granite facades, Westmorland slate mansard and copper cupola were carefully restored and insulation upgraded. Entry was reinstated centrally on the Aldwych, accessing a double height lobby bar with pewter and refurbished Austrian Oak walls and white stone floor overlooked by a mezzanine restaurant with twisted polished steel balustrade. Unconventionally, reception is tucked around the corner, creating a more informal feel.

 

Above, 105 elegant guestrooms and a new triangular core are stitched between rivetted steel columns in a layout liberated by a vacuum powered drainage system. Down below, a separate restaurant, fitness centre and 18 metre lap pool are inserted into a basement where printing presses once thrummed.

 

Edwardian features are widely retained alongside new contemporary insertions. Illuminated glass lifts gradually adjust from warm yellow in the morning to deep blue at night. 400 artworks are harmoniously integrated. A helical stair in steel, glass and clear acrylic links gym and pool, where backlit water cascades at one end and soothing music plays underwater.