Hampton Court Station London, Architecture, Images, Building, Proposal, News

Hampton Court Station

Key Building Development in southwest London, England – by Quinlan Terry

News Update 28 Oct 2008

Hampton Court Station Development

Approved by planning councillors (planning sub-committee)
Last step is Cabinet decision, Dec 2008

Battle of the Styles?

Quinlan and Francis Terry Architects’ design selected

Hampton Court Station : English Heritage drop objection

19 Aug 2008

Plans to redevelop Hampton Court Station and the Jolly Boatman site received an enormous boost this week following English Heritage’s withdrawal of its objection to the redevelopment plans.

Proposals : Allies & Morrison (left) ; Quinlan and Francis Terry Architects (right)
Hampton Court Station proposal Hampton Court Station proposal

In its formal response to Elmbridge Council’s consultation, Tim Jones from English Heritage, comments:

“The latest application shows a redesigned hotel by Quinlan and Francis Terry Architects. English Heritage has been working closely with Gladedale in the evolution of this redesigned building…. We feel that its design, appearance and architectural vocabulary all respond in a significantly more sympathetic fashion to this highly sensitive location.

“English Heritage wishes to secure a scheme which will complement the setting of significant heritage assets and consider that if the development on the site between the Station and Thames is acceptable as matter of principle, the designs submitted represent the most appropriate response to the site.”

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the Government’s urban design adviser has also responded to the consultation and praised both schemes. In their letter to the Council, CABE state:

“The current, neglected, status of the site, with the low quality station entrance and car park, poor public realm and highways infrastructure, is clearly unacceptable. The scheme greatly improves the public realm and transport interchange facilities, and has the potential to be an extremely pleasant place to visit and live.”

And it concludes, “We wish the project well and look forward to seeing it built.”

Paul Lemar, Land and Planning Director for the Gladedale Group, said:

“The endorsement of English Heritage and CABE is enormously important for the project and rather undermines the arguments of opponents who claim that the development will have a detrimental impact on the views from the Palace.

“We are delighted with the response that we are receiving to our plans. Hundreds of local people and many statutory bodies are registering their support for the plans. There is now an historic opportunity for the Council to finally act and develop a site that has been derelict for thirty years.

“We remain committed to building whichever design that is preferred by the Council and the comments of English Heritage and CABE, together with the views of local people, will have a significant influence on the Council’s ultimate decision.”

Mick Martin, Director, Commercial Property from Network Rail, added:

“We are excited by the opportunity at Hampton Court and are delighted by the support received from English Heritage.  This development provides Network Rail with the opportunity to create a first class transport interchange for local residents and visitors to Hampton Court.”

The planning applications for the comprehensive redevelopment of the area around Hampton Court Station have been submitted by the Gladedale Group, Network Rail and The Royal Star & Garter Homes. In addition to the hotel building, the proposals include:

– A large, 40m wide riverside terrace overlooking the Thames (half the size of a football pitch)
– The refurbishment of Hampton Court Station
– New restaurants and shops at ground level to create a vibrant area around the Station
– A new care home for The Royal Star & Garter Homes
– New homes
– An information centre to boost tourism in the area
– Improved transport connections with a new underground car park and better bus and taxi facilities
– Better pedestrian links from the Station to East Molesey and Hampton Court

English Heritage objected to the original proposals submitted in October 2007 and has confirmed that it remains opposed to the plan which include a boat-house inspired hotel at the head of the development. However, they welcomed the revised application which includes a more classical design for the hotel building.

Allies & Morrison Architects

Quinlan and Francis Terry Architects

Hampton Court Station Redevelopment – New Designs Submitted

26 Jun 2008

Gladedale, Network Rail and The Royal Star & Garter Homes have submitted further plans to Elmbridge Council for the redevelopment of the area around Hampton Court Station.

A second design has been put forward for the hotel building which will stand at the head of the development overlooking the Thames. It will give Elmbridge councillors a choice over whether they want the original boat house-inspired scheme that was submitted in October last year or a classical design. In addition, in response to comments from English Heritage and Elmbridge Council, the proposed riverfront square between the hotel and the river has been redesigned to retain Luytens’ listed embankment.

Since the planning application was submitted in October 2007, over 750 people have registered their support for the scheme through the Council’s consultation. As well as the hotel, the scheme will provide apartments and mews houses, a new home for The Royal Star & Garter Homes (the Charity which provides long-term care for disabled ex-Servicemen and women) and the refurbishment of the station building.

Paul Lemar, Land and Planning Director for Gladedale, said:

“We have been delighted with the public response to the consultation and are very grateful to all those local residents that have registered their support. The proposal will bring major benefits to the area around the station which is in desperate need of improvement. They are also in line with local and national planning policies that are encouraging the redevelopment of brownfield sites such as this.

“We do recognise, however, that there have been objections submitted, mainly relating to the design of the hotel building. We still believe the initial design we put forward for the hotel, which was a boat house-inspired building of timber weatherboard with a slate roof, represents a high quality contemporary building with architectural integrity and will continue to promote it. But in response to the comments that have been made, we have also decided to submit a second more traditional design for the Council to consider. We are willing to build whichever option that is preferred by the Council.”

Elmbridge Council will now consult on the new design and a decision is expected in the next few months.

The Jolly Boatman site has been derelict for 20 years and in 2003 was voted “one of Britain’s worst wasted spaces” by listeners of Radio 4’s Today programme. The Hampton Court station building is also in a state of disrepair. Earlier plans to redevelop the site have failed and in the late 1990s Elmbridge Borough Council agreed a development brief urging the comprehensive regeneration of the area rather than piecemeal development.

Gladedale has been working with Network Rail since April 2005 when they acquired the Jolly Boatman site. The proposals were submitted in October 2007. They had been drawn up following extensive consultation with the local community and other stakeholders, and included:

– A high quality hotel at the head of the development
– A large riverside terrace overlooking the Thames
– The refurbishment of Hampton Court Station
– New restaurants and shops at ground level to create a vibrant area around the station
– A new care home for The Royal Star & Garter Homes
– New homes
– An information centre to boost tourism in the area
– Improved transport connections with a new underground car park and better bus and taxi facilities
– Better pedestrian links from the station to East Molesey and Hampton Court

The original hotel scheme and wider masterplan is designed by Allies & Morrison. Allies & Morrison is one of the country’s leading architectural and masterplanning practices. The practice’s portfolio of completed projects covers a diverse range of building types from education, retail, mixed use, office, hotel, residential and arts buildings throughout the UK and abroad. Best known projects include the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank, a new astronomy education centre at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich; as well as ambitious plans to convert the existing Highbury Stadium at Arsenal FC and adjoining land into residential development. The practice’s recent work and development was rewarded at the Building Design Awards 2007, where Allies & Morrison received the “Architect of the Year” award.   More information can be obtained at www.alliesandmorrison.co.uk

The revised hotel scheme has been designed by Quinlan & Francis Terry Architects. Quinlan and Francis Terry are architects who specialise in high quality Classical architecture and traditional construction. The practice have worked on many significant projects both in the UK and overseas: these include the State Rooms at 10 Downing Street, Richmond Riverside, Merchants Square, Colonial Williamsburg and a new Cathedral in Brentwood. For more information, visit www.qftarchitects.com

The Royal Star & Garter Homes

In 2007, The Royal Star & Garter Charity for disabled ex-Service men and women, based in Richmond, announced that it intended to build a new Royal Star & Garter Home on the Hampton Court Station site. The site was chosen by the Charity following an extensive search of Richmond and the surrounding area, when a considerable number of sites were considered. The flat location and proximity to the river and adjoining park are distinct advantages that will greatly enhance the disabled residents’ ability to get out and about. The site is also in a very desirable area and borders the Borough of Richmond, which has been the Charity’s home for over 90 years, ensuring links with local volunteers and organisations can be maintained.

Founded in 1916, one large home in Richmond has operated for over 90 years. The needs of residents today mean that the old home is no longer suitable, and that is why The Royal Star & Garter Charity plans to build a new network of homes throughout the country. Initially three new homes will be built with the very best facilities, to create places where disabled ex-Service people can live the later years of their lives to the full. The first of these new homes will open in Solihull in the summer of 2008. The success of this project will allow The Royal Star & Garter Charity to continue transforming the lives of ex-Service people well into the 21st Century.

Location: Hampton Court Station, London, England, UK

London Buildings

Contemporary London Architecture

London Architecture Links – chronological list

London Architecture Tours by e-architect

London Architects Offices

London Architecture

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Orangery : Christopher Wren

London Railway Stations

Lanesborough Hotel & Spa, Hyde Park Corner, Belgravia, Southwest London
Architecture: Filer & Cox ; Interiors: 1508
Lanesborough Hotel & Spa, London Club
image from architects
Lanesborough Hotel & Spa

Comments / photos for the Hampton Court Station Architecture page welcome