180 Strand Welcomes Tomorrow
Tomorrow Ltd have moved into the Fleet designed retrofit one wing of The Vinyl Factory at 180 the Strand. Fleet have previously designed a floor for the Arts and Media organisation Frieze when thy moved to the Vinyl Factory early in 2019,learn more of that project here. Whereas the Frieze design explored a post ‘burolandschaft’ environment, this design sought to maximise natural light with unashamedly open spaces supported by a range of meeting and smaller work spaces. We used exposed blockwork partitions, strand board and tinted ply to achieve a simple mid-2oth-century appearance complementing the concrete structure of the host building. Further play with the Palm Springs feel involved collaboration with The Conservatory Archives, who brought a verdant palette of cacti and ferns to the final design. Here are some photos of the SNAGGING process while we wait for the official photos.
Tomorrow host many exciting names in fashion including Samuel Ross’ A Cold Wall.
More to follow.
The scheme adds a deliberately simple and sober contemporary floor to the building, complementing but not mimicking the existing fabric which will be sensitively restored, as befitting of the building which has been long mooted for listing.
The restored Fort Road Hotel will open in the late 2020 and will offer simple lodging rooms with views of Margate’s spectacular sunsets maximised. The entrance floor will be restored to offer a dining and shared lounge space. The works will begin imminently.
The building was bought by compulsory purchase order in 2010 by Thanet District Council after the owner left the building in a state of disrepair. The hotel was last discussed by the previous Labour controlled council in 2015, where a £950,000 budget was agreed for the building to be converted into social housing for elderly council tenants. After pressing ahead with a marketing campaign to attract bidders, the authority argued at the time that a hotel or tourist attraction was not a viable option.
