FBM Architects have just submitted a planning application on behalf of Abercorn Investment Limited for the refurbishment of Abercorn House at 28-30 Bute Gardens in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Built as nurses accommodation in 1917, the site has operated for many years as a hotel.

The existing courtyard will be enclosed by a striking ETFE roof and will house a cafe/lounge area creating a new focal point to the building. Internally, the floor plan will be reconfigured throughout to offer en-suite accommodation, with the size of the rooms increased to improve resident comfort and allow for the introduction of new services. Accessibility will be enhanced with a new lift providing access to additional bedrooms in a new extension to the fourth floor.

Externally, the facade will be upgraded with high performance windows and new ceramic cladding. The design intention is to provide Abercorn House with two distinct yet complementary identities – while the brickwork along the Bute Gardens is to be retained and refreshed, the cladding of the courtyard and the building’s south and east elevations will boast a sharp contemporary look.