Highmaster's House to Become 35 Room Hotel

---

Historic Hammersmith Road building will have public bar and restaurant

One of Hammersmith's most distinctive buildings, Highmaster's House at 153 Hammersmith Road is set to become a 35 room hotel, after its redevelopment was given the go ahead by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

The planning documents say approval has been granted to Perflag Hotels for the change of use from offices and residential to a 35 bedroom hotel, plus erection of a two storey side extension to the eastern elevation at ground and first floor levels following demolition of existing single storey corridor link.

Other changes include the erection of a front ground floor level single storey extension; erection of dormer windows; installation of rooflights; re-configuration of the front boundary treatment to the site; excavation of the existing basement to form additional floorspace and external alterations.

The building, next to St Paul's Gardens was designed in a Gothic Revival style by architect Alfred Waterhouse in 1893 and has been Grade II listed since 1983.

As the name suggests, it was once the home of the High Master of St Paul's School before the school moved over the river to Barnes in 1961. It was then used as offices, most recently for mental health charity MIND, but has stood empty for the last five years.

Perflag Hotels' Ramses Andraous says the hotel will have a restaurant and bar open to the public, a promise welcomed by planning officers who said it will restore access to this
"valuable heritage asset".

 

May 2, 2013