Historic City of London Building to Become Luxury Hotel with Modern Rooftop Extension

The City of London Corporation has approved plans for a significant transformation of a Grade II-listed Victorian building at 27-28 Clements Lane into a 180-key luxury hotel. The project, led by Studio Moren for JMK Group, involves converting the existing office space while adding a contemporary rooftop extension, aiming to enhance the Square Mile’s hospitality offering and support the city’s ‘Destination City’ initiative.

Key Takeaways

A Grade II-listed Victorian office building is being converted into a 180-key luxury hotel.
A new, lightweight metal rooftop extension will add four storeys of guest accommodation.
The design respects the building’s heritage while incorporating modern sustainability features.
The project aims to revitalise the area and contribute to the City of London’s mixed-use strategy.

A Sensitive Transformation of a Listed Building

The scheme will see St Clement’s House, a mid-19th-century structure located between Monument and Bank, reimagined as a design-led hotel. The conversion will meticulously restore and reinstate original architectural features, including the marble-clad facade, ornate corniced windows, interior plaster ceilings, chimney breasts, and cast-iron columns. This heritage-led approach ensures the building’s historical significance is preserved while adapting it for contemporary use.

Contemporary Addition Meets Historic Context

A striking four-storey rooftop extension, constructed from lightweight metal, will provide additional guestrooms. The design of this extension draws inspiration from the building’s existing segmental arches and the vaulted forms of the neighbouring St Clement’s Church. This approach ensures the new addition is both a clear, “unapologetically contemporary” intervention and a sensitive response to the surrounding urban scale and historic townscape.

Sustainability at the Forefront

Sustainability is a core component of the project. Studio Moren has integrated a comprehensive sustainability strategy, targeting BREEAM Excellent certification. This includes a reuse-first approach, retaining the majority of the listed building, and employing low-carbon materials and HVAC systems. Further measures include roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, fabric upgrades, passive design strategies, window planters, rainwater harvesting, and a biodiverse green roof. These elements aim to mitigate environmental impact, counter the urban heat island effect, and enhance green infrastructure within the city.

Enhancing the Public Realm

Beyond the hotel itself, the development will invigorate the street level. New active frontages will be introduced along Lombard Court and St Clement’s Court, featuring accessible entrances and a publicly accessible lounge, restaurant, café, and bar. This revitalisation of the ground-floor spaces aims to add vibrancy, improve passive surveillance, and create a renewed sense of discovery within the characterful lanes of the City of London, aligning with the broader goals of the ‘Destination City’ initiative to foster a more active and mixed-use Square Mile.