The exterior of the new hotel will be covered in layers of glass, just one small part of the highly energy-efficient strategies characteristic of Foster+Partners designs. In addition to flooding the interior with daylight, the glass shell will act as a noise barrier from planes taking off and landing. While the hotel is actually 13 stories high, many of the floors are sunk below ground level, which gives the building a lower profile similar to the surrounding structures. Hotel rooms are contained into six different pavilions connected by bridges and enveloped by the glass shell.

From the entrance lobby, guests can look through the glass deck to view the pool, restaurant and waterfall below. The conference center, which has a separate street entrance, is lit from an atrium on the roof of the building that brings light down to the lower levels.

The new 5-star hotel is meant to help spur the redevelopment of the area surrounding Heathrow Airport. According to Grant Brooker, Executive Director of Foster + Partners, “This will be the first five-star hotel in the immediate vicinity of Heathrow, and marks a key stage in the area’s transformation. We have enjoyed great support and encouragement from local residents, businesses and the Borough of Hillingdon and we believe that the hotel’s wide range of facilities will ensure that it plays a vital role in serving both international travelers and the local community.”

+ Foster + Partners

photos courtesy of Foster + Partners

2  print email thisemail