Press Releases

Woods Bagot to Restore Soviet Post-War Gem

Nov 2011

Embargoed until: 00:01am Monday 7^th November

Woods Bagot to Restore Soviet Post-War Gem

Architectural practice Woods Bagot has been appointed to restore and extend one of the most iconic, historic properties in the heart of Moscow – the Pekin Hotel – for operator Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Owner HALS-Development has instructed Woods Bagot’s lifestyle and hotel design team, headed by Principals Rob Steul and Nathan Freebury, to undertake an extensive restoration program for the historic property. The design will re-emphasise and preserve the hotel’s significant character while bringing it up to date for today’s discerning business traveller.

Rob Steul, Principal at Woods Bagot, said: “The Pekin Hotel in Moscow is recognised as one of Russia’s most important historical and cultural buildings, having been designed in the “Stalinist” style of the post war years and honouring the friendship between the Soviet Union and China in the early 1950s.

 “This project will draw upon Woods Bagot’s extensive experience of hotel design and our proposals will capture this building’s former grandeur while meeting the challenges of providing world-class facilities for operator Fairmont.

“Interesting features for the renewed hotel will be a bar located in the ‘Belvedere’ tower offering views over central Moscow, a large spa, new lobby and porte cochere, and a wintergarden featuring multiple food and beverage offers.

“In essence, we wish to return The Fairmont Pekin Moscow Hotel to a key destination in one of the World’s largest and famous cities.”

The Pekin was completed in 1955 to designs by Dimity Chechulin, one of the Soviet Union’s most famous architects and architecturally dominates Triumfalnaya Square. Woods Bagot will sympathetically restore the fine facade and internal spaces while extending the building with an architectural approach respectful of the period building.

The final hotel will include 236 spacious guestrooms and suites, 950 square metres of meeting and function space and a selection of dining venues and spa and fitness facilities. The hotel will be rebranded Fairmont Pekin Moscow and restoration will begin in December 2013.

Woods Bagot’s team already has significant experience of working on hotel design globally, including the Swissotel Moscow, the recently completed Eccleston Square Hotel in London’s Pimlico and approval to convert the Grade II* listed 10 Trinity Square at the Capital’s Tower Hill.

ENDS

About Woods Bagot

Woods Bagot is a global design studio specialising in the design and planning of facilities across three key sectors: Education and Science, Lifestyle and Workplace.

Our focus is to understand our client’s functional, operational and cultural needs, drawing on our research and experience to create solutions which work. Our multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled individuals provide services in architecture, consulting, interior design and urban design.

Woods Bagot’s One Global Studio approach gives each client full access to the combined professional talent and knowledge resources within the entire organisation, bringing all studios, disciplines and practices into a well connected, highly coordinated and highly collaborative service network. This network operates across Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America and allows us to combine local and global experts, virtually and physically, from any location to bring knowledge to projects of significance anywhere in the world.

The firm's diverse portfolio of high-profile projects includes: 10 Trinity Square (London), 100 Bishopsgate (London), Grosvenor House Redevelopment (London), Qatar Science & Technology Park (Qatar), Bank of New Zealand (Auckland), Southern Cross Towers (Melbourne), Hilton South Wharf and Convention & Exhibition Centre (Melbourne), and Shijiazhuang Exhibition and Convention Centre (China). In addition to their numerous global awards, Woods Bagot was recognised as the AJ International Practice of the Year in 2009, the 2010 Mix UK Design Practice of the Year and the 2011 Large Architecture Practice of the Year at the recent Middle East Architecture Awards.

For further information, interview requests or images please contact:

Emma Bowden

MHP

0203 128 8145

emma.bowden@mhpc.com

Fraser Walters

MHP

0203 128 8167

Fraser.walters@mhpc.com   

To view the latest Woods Bagot news and projects visit www.woodsbagot.com