Planning permission granted for 200-bedroom Shoreditch hotel

Planning permission has been granted for a 200-bedroom hotel in London’s Shoreditch from Highgate Holdings and designed by architect firm Gensler.

Shoreditch Highgate Hotel – the first hotel in London for Highgate which owns 40,000 hotel rooms globally, including the iconic Knickerbocker on New York’s Time Square – will form part of a 319,000 sq ft commercial building.

The design of the property will include glass façades framed with black steel in an exposed concrete structure, in a look-back to the “raw factory style” of Shoreditch’s industrial past, while roof terraces will provide additional outdoor space.

Meanwhile the hotel is designed to look visually lighter with each storey, culminating in a cantilevered sky lounge bar and event spaces.

Duncan Swinhoe, regional managing principal at Gensler, said: “We are honoured to be working with Highgate on what is set to become a valuable asset for local professionals and the residents of East London.

“Thoughtful architecture is at the heart of our proposal and our design respects Shoreditch’s rich industrial legacy, while providing local entrepreneurs and creative businesses with office space and shared amenities.”

Work on the site is set to begin in the second quarter of 2016 with the hotel expected to be completed by the end of 2018.