Better Together

As hospitality, retail and office spaces evolve, could mixed-use developments drive consumers back to the city centre?

Words: Ben Thomas Mixed-use developments have been rising up over cities around the world for decades, bringing together hospitality, retail, residential, entertainment and office space at a single site, the idea being that it becomes a neighbourhood, where people can live, work, rest and play without having to travel too far.

But with the onset of the pandemic, hotels, restaurants, shops and cinemas have been forced to close their doors, effectively turning once-bustling city centre streets into ghost towns. Given that forecasters predict the use of online-based services will continue to grow, and the current tendency to avoid crowds, some have questioned whether such spaces still have a place in society. Developers however are taking a long-term view, and strongly believe that their schemes – often spanning vast swathes of underutilised land – will bring a sense of community that so many big-city dwellers crave.

In London, there’s a number of projects in the works, with the pandemic serving to demonstrate that mixed-use developments – as opposed to those that rely on a single-use – are better positioned through times of uncertainty.

One of the capital’s largest mixed-use projects is Olympia London, set to undergo a £1.3 billion regeneration over the next four years to become a new cultural hub. Led by real estate investment firms Yoo Capital and Deutsche Finance International, the redevelopment is set around the existing Grade II*-listed Grand Hall and Pillar Hall, which have played host to countless trade shows and consumer exhibitions over the years. The project includes the addition of two luxury hotels, a four-screen ArtHouse cinema, and two new artistic venues – a 1,000-seat performing arts space and a 1,500-seat theatre. Celebrating its heritage while serving the next generation of Londoners, the Heatherwick Studio and SPPARCdesigned complex will also comprise 10,000ft2 of free performance and rehearsal space for local charities; restaurants, shops and cafés including a new jazz-club style venue; 550,000ft2 of office

and co-working space; and 2.5 acres of public space, made up of squares, pedestrianised streets and a sky garden, as well as an elevated deck – set beneath a new glass canopy and garden – offering access from Olympia Way to the west end of Hammersmith Road, all part of plans to reconnect with the surrounding area.

Naturally, hotels are part of the plan too, with two recognised brands already confirmed. CitizenM will bring its ‘affordable luxury’ concept to the district in 2024, in a 145-key property designed by Amsterdam-based partner Concrete, to be followed by a 196-key Hyatt Regency later the same year. Located within an architecturally significant Art Deco building that previously served as a multi-storey car park, the latter connects directly to the exhibition centre. Its interiors are being designed by Twenty2Degrees, who will take cues from the architectural heritage of the structure.

South of the Thames meanwhile, the revitalisation of the Grade II-listed Battersea Power Station as a mixed-use neighbourhood continues to set the benchmark for developments of its kind in London. Managed by Battersea Power Station Development Company, the £9 billion rejuvenation will see the 42-acre industrial brownfield site transformed into a community of modern homes, shops, bars and restaurants, while the arrival of offices, 19 acres of public space and a Foster + Partners-designed hotel will also increase footfall. The hotel, operated by Art’otel and featuring interiors by Dexter Moren Associates, will include 164 guestrooms, a spa, signature bar, and roof garden designed by James Corner Field Operations – the team behind New York’s High Line.

And then there’s King’s Cross, which has been evolving since 2007. A lot has happened to the 67-acre site over the years, though it was the 2012 opening of the Great Northern Hotel – involving the restoration of a 19th century Grade II-listed building – that really gave the area a new lease of life. A number of restaurants have made their debut here too, while Coal Drops Yard is now a popular shopping destination home to the likes of Google, Louis Vuitton and Universal Music. And there’s plenty more to come, with ambitious proposals by real estate developer Argent including 50 new and refurbished buildings, all of which are connected by a network of streets and major public spaces including squares and parks. When complete, the former industrial wasteland will cement its place as another fashionable district of London – that even has its own postcode – boasting homes, shops, offices and galleries, not to mention trendy bars and restaurants, and even a university.

While it’s unclear what individual sectors such as hospitality, retail and office space will look like in the years ahead, the coming together of such facilities and services will help build the cities of the future.