explore the BusinessNet
Terminal 5 gets a five star neighbour
Story
Opening mid 2008 and adjacent to BA’s new Terminal 5, the £180 million Sofitel London Heathrow is set to become one of the largest luxury airport hotels and convention centres in Europe. Mirroring the design principles of the neighbouring terminal, this five star hotel is being built on a grand scale with five towering steel and glass atria, which will make the structure instantly recognisable. And Crabtree was chosen to provide all the electrical switchgear and accessories upon which this five star hotel will depend.
Focusing on the concept of ‘the gateway to the world’ as the design inspiration, KCA International Designers, who have previously designed the interiors for Burj Al Arab, Dubai and the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, have embraced the theme of Continent and Country throughout the property. Antarctica takes the central focus in the hotel’s reception areas with a dramatic water fountain centrepiece, which cascades out from a mirrored ceiling onto floodlit ice blocks, which funnel refractive light on the surrounding surfaces. This was one of the reasons why Crabtree Platinum accessories were specified here, and indeed throughout the whole hotel; the high polished chrome finish was chosen to best complement the overall interior design. In all, over £80,000 worth of Platinum accessories was used, in meeting rooms, other public areas and in bedrooms for switches, power data and telecom sockets, and shaver points in the luxurious en-suite facilities.
This 605 bedroom hotel, which will be the third largest meetings and events venue in the UK, will have a total conference capacity of over 2,800 people and will boast 45 meeting rooms, ranging in size from a full-scale conference suite accommodating 1,700 theatre style, to a presidential board room with adjoining salon privé for 14 – all ensuring maximum flexibility. The layout of the hotel’s conference facilities will enable events to be zoned so that they can be held in complete privacy. Larger spaces, such as the Arora Suite will be able to accommodate anything from major product launches and ceremonies to fashion shows. All have been exclusively equipped with Crabtree Platinum accessories
The hotel will also have a 100-seat fine dining restaurant, Brasserie Roux. The Brasserie under the guidance of astronomic legend, Albert Roux will provide diners with the best of French regional cooking amidst a bustling, yet informal backdrop. The restaurant will boast an exclusive boardroom for private use, as well as a ‘Chef’s table’ giving guests the opportunity to dine within the heart of the kitchen, where the same high quality polished chrome accessories are also to be found.
All this five star luxury must rely on an infrastructure that supplies power safely and reliably throughout the building. With over 35 years experience in the design & manufacture of Low Voltage Switchgear, Kane Engineering, in conjunction with Crabtree, supplied the main incoming LV switchboard feeding a series of System Powerstar boards which in turn supply more Loadstar distribution boards. One Crabtree consumer unit then provides managed power to each pair of bedrooms throughout the hotel. In all, the total value of the electrical distribution equipment and accessories supplied for this project is valued at £400,000.
The main building contractor for this outstanding project was Laing O’Rourke, with Mechanical and Electrical subcontractor Crown House Engineering.
Set to become one of the world’s most prestigious airport addresses, Sofitel London Heathrow will be the only hotel to be directly linked to Terminal 5 via its own connecting bridge. It will probably be the largest luxury hotel to be built in the UK before the 2012 Olympics.
