A British icon, the Savoy Hotel has been a popular hotspot for visitors to London for more than 120 years. The epitome of luxury and grandeur, the Savoy has played host to a who’s who of Royalty and Hollywood superstars over the years, with Marilyn Monroe known to have been a regular guest.
The Savoy is a hotel of firsts.
It was one of the first luxury hotels in Britain, the first to have electricity, electric lifts (known as ‘ascending rooms’), air-conditioning, 24-hour room service, private bathrooms and constant hot and cold running water.
In December 2007, the world-renowned hotel closed its doors to the public for the very first time as it underwent one of the most ambitious hotel restorations in British history. The multi-million pound project aimed to breathe new life into the building, reaffirming its place at the pinnacle of the luxury hotel market both nationally and internationally.
The challenge
With an aging Edwardian facade, architects, ReardonSmith, needed to give careful consideration to the materials and methodologies used in transforming the hotel. Strict planning restrictions on the Grade II-listed building meant that all materials had to match the existing and adjoining buildings, with original building practices replicated throughout.
Jim Ryan, from ReardonSmith said: “The Savoy hotel is something of a national treasure and one of the most well-known hotels in the world. The restoration and refurbishment of such a landmark needed meticulous attention to detail and all building materials had to pass a number of stringent requirements.”
The solution
In order to meet these strict criteria, Reardon-Smith turned to Wienerberger to provide a brick which was coherent with the aesthetics of the building, satisfied current building regulations and would last for generations to come. The White Glazed Imperial brick from Wienerberger fitted the bill perfectly, providing a unique aesthetic because of its reflective, glossy facade, and hardwearing nature.
The White Glazed Imperial is part of Wienerberger’s Colour Fusion range of glazed bricks, developed to give architects a huge variety of colours. Available as standard in 215x102x65mm in 12 colours of brick, the glazed surface can be ordered to match any RAL reference, while bespoke sizes and shapes can be made to order, making this a highly versatile product.
Jim continued: “The brick throughout the restoration of the building varied in glaze and base colour dependant on the area of the building and its original construction. The original brickwork was also a specialist size and needed to be replicated. Wienerberger demonstrated it was flexible and adaptive enough to cope with these challenges and supplied a product which met performance, regulatory and aesthetic requirements.”
The outcome
The doors of the Savoy were reopened in October 2010 to a chorus of praise and excellent reviews.
Jim Ryan concluded: “Reopening the hotel and seeing people’s reaction to its updated look was superb. Both the exterior and the interior of the building have been completely renewed and restored, enhancing the elegance and glamour of the hotel and ensuring its longevity into the 21st Century.”
Simon Pearson, Wienerberger’s director of sales - brick, added: “To be involved in such a prestigious and iconic project is fantastic and we’re incredibly proud that the White Glazed Imperial adorns one of the country’s leading hotels.”
For further information on Wienerberger please visit http://www.wienerberger.co.uk/. Follow Wienerberger on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wienerbergeruk.
