London: The Curtain Hotel

New Yorks’s Gansevoort Group is expanding its boutique hotel franchise to Shoreditch, London with a three-storey basement and six floors above ground level. To facilitate the construction of this new Shoreditch landmark DAWSON-WAM were contracted to design and install secant piled retaining walls and settlement relieving piles.

The basement was designed with FREW and PLAXIS modelling software to provide efficient design whilst minimising the impact on the adjacent structures and assests. The secant wall require propping with hydraulic props at two levels in the temporary condition.  

The secant pile wall was made up of 750mm diameter piles installed at 650mm centres to allow a maximum excavation depth of 13.5m below existing ground level. Piles were installed adjacent to to busy roads on three sides and in close proximity to a sensitive party wall on the fourth side. Secant piles were formed using DAWSON-WAM’s Cased CFA system to ensure vertical tolerances of over 1:150 and piles were installed in a Hard/Hard configuration to offer the best load spread and waterproofing performa nce. In all over 140m of secant walls were installed to the scheme.

In addition to the secant piling DAWSON-WAM installed over 100nr settlement relieving piles and plunge column piles for a temporary gantry. Piles were of 450mm in diameter and with lengths of up to 22m. For the gantry piles steel UC sections were plunged to depths of 21m to allow the construction of the reinforced concrete gantry prior to excavation of the basement.

The building features 120 rooms, including suites and more than 550m2 of event space. The design includes Gansevoort trademark elements: a rooftop pool and a terrace with sliding roof.

DMA architect Zoë Tallon says, ”Working as the Architect and lead Designer on behalf of Dexter Moren Associates on this high profile development, we extensively researched the site, learning of the Curtain theatre – an Elizabethan playhouse located close-by, which is the streets and hotel’s namesake. We referenced the local industrial heritage in the façade design, which simultaneously blends the new build hotel seamlessly within its urban streetscape. The roof top terrace, pool and courtyards are a distinct nod to the creative character of contemporary Shoreditch, reflecting the playful and exciting nature of its neighbourhood.”