Middle Eight wins International Hotel & Property Award......

Congratulations to Tonik Associates and the team for winning the 2021 International Hotel & Property Award for best restaurant design for Sycamore Vino Cucina restaurant at the Middle Eight Hotel in London.

Shiva’s Middle Eight Hotel, located in the heart of Covent Garden has been transformed after undergoing extensive refurbishment, opening in October 2020. The luxury 180 room hotel offers state of the art amenities with two restaurants, bars and lounges and an events venue for music and live performances.

In 2014, Manhire Associates were involved in early discussions with Shiva and Ray Hole Architects to upgrade and develop the former Kingsway Hall Hotel. After various options were considered, including a two storey roof extension, proposals were developed for ten new suites at first floor with a number of other structural alterations to the nine storey building and double level basement with the remodelling of the entrance and lobby etc.

Modifying the existing building posed a number of challenges with a variety of structural materials and forms adopted in the original design – the upper eight storeys are structural steel with vierendeel trusses supporting a stone façade over reinforced concrete transfer structures at first floor. A new thin lightweight long span mezzanine floor was designed to extend one of the dining areas to match existing floor levels as well as structural changes for the additional suites and stairs.

Many congratulations to the project team – it was a pleasure to work with Shiva Hotels Group, Ellmer Construction, Tonik Associates, Rayhole Architects and GVA Second London Wall to deliver such a unique refurbishment of this landmark property.