THE PROJECT COMPRISED OF THE CONVERSION OF THE FORMER SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL SHIRE HALL OFFICE BUILDING INTO A 75 BEDROOM PREMIER INN INCLUDING A WHITBREAD BAR CAFÉ RESTAURANT FACILITY. THE EXISTING BUILDING IS LOCATED WITHIN A CONSERVATION AREA AND WAS SYMPATHETICALLY CONVERTED INTO A HOTEL FACILITY.
The accommodation within the hotel comprised of 75 non-standard en-suite bedrooms, a small bar café restaurant, lift and stairwell cores, corridors, laundry rooms and staff areas.
The existing 1960’s building comprised of a combination of concrete frame and traditional masonry structure. In some areas, this required major structural alteration including the installation of mini piled foundations within the enlarged basement restaurant area. New lift cores were also installed. Externally, the building envelope was retained, cleaned and new mock sash windows installed.
Internally, the bedrooms and core areas were finished to the latest Premier Inn standards.
Key Features of this project were:
- Building conversion within a local conservation area
- Site located in a town centre location
- Rainwater harvesting system installed
- Negotiated form of procurement
- Suffolk Association of Architects Craftmanship Award Winner