PLANS to turn an empty West End hotel — part of which is A-listed — into luxury student accommodation have been given the go-ahead.
The Parklane Group intend to convert and extend the former Lorne Hotel premises on Sauchiehall Street.
The complex, operating under the IconInc brand, will have 149 studios plus a range of facilities including a cinema, games rooms, gym, spa, events kitchens, an amphitheatre, cultural lounges and study lounges. It will function as short-stay accommodation outwith term time. A food/drink establishment would be operated also.
Their listed building application has been approved by city council planners who state in their report: “The proposals are sensitive to the listed building, would result in the re-use of the building and would not harm its architectural character or historic significance.”
A design statement explained: “The hotel building sits on a prominent site and is made up of two distinct buildings that adjoin each other on Sauchiehall Street and are linked internally.
“The first is an A-Listed tenement style building that sits on the corner of Sauchiehall Street and Kelvingrove Street. The second is a 1960s concrete frame building that sits on the corner of Sauchiehall Street and Derby Street.”
It continued: “The Grade A Listed building will undergo some internal alterations to the rear of the building along with window upgrades and fabric repairs.
“The 1960s building element will undergo a far more comprehensive refurbishment, with significant works proposed to the existing facade to provide an industry standard non-combustible facade.
“This will also allow a re-imagining exercise to offer a more contextual and consistent treatment to the buildings main elevations.
“Additionally new replacement rear extensions are proposed as well as a set back rooftop extension to Derby Street.”
The document further states “The vision is to sympathetically re-purpose a vacant hotel into luxury student accommodation and to refurbish, repair and regenerate a significant heritage asset…as well as seizing an opportunity to visually improve and better embed the 923 [Sauchiehall Street] building into the local urban fabric, whilst also drastically improving its thermal performance.”
