Grange Hotels is to develop a £327m luxury hotel at the Lethaby Building and former Cochrane Theatre at Red Lion Square, WC1.
The hotelier has received planning consent for the redevelopment of the Grade II listed former Central Saint Martin’s building, to deliver a 427-bedroom hotel, 34 affordable homes, co-working space and cultural and exhibition space.
Camden council’s planning committee unanimously approved the detailed plans at a meeting on 15 October, despite objections from the Victorian Society, which viewed it as overdevelopment of the heritage assets.
The site was previously used by the Central School of Art and Design until 2011, when CSM moved to its King’s Cross campus.
Grange’s scheme has been designed by Orms Architects. It incorporates alterations and internal refurbishment to the 1908 Lethaby Building, extensions to the Red Lion Square Building and the development of a new Theobalds Building of affordable housing.
The hotel will span 430,000 sq ft with ground level uses including a restaurant, shops and the cultural space. There is also a large conference hall, events spaces and spa facilities, with a restaurant and bar on the top 13th and 14th floors.
Grange is owned by founding partners the Matharu brothers – Harpal, Raj and Tony – and is one of London’s largest privately held hotel companies. Last year it completed the £1bn sale of the its four prize London assets to Queensgate. The company also owns a further 12 hotels in London and one in Berkshire.
The freehold for the latest scheme is owned by special purpose vehicle Grange St Martins, which was set up in 2017 and lists Harpal and Raj as directors.
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