South Molton Triangle, City of Westminster, for Grosvenor and Mitsui Fudosan UK, with Hopkins, BDP, Donald Insall Associates, Twin & Earth and WSP

South Molton Triangle is a 3.4ha joint venture valued at £500m. The restoration of Georgian-era buildings will provide a 5-star boutique hotel on Brook Street, 35 new shops, cafes and restaurants, around 11 new affordable homes and 22 private homes located next to Oxford Street and Bond Street station.

Who is on the project team? (designer, consultants, etc)

Grosvenor/Mitsui Fudosan UK, Hopkins, BDP, Donald Insall Associates, Twin and Earth, WSP.

Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

South Molton is the West End’s largest mixed-use development, with a GIA 370,000 sq. ft across a total area of 3.4 hectares. The project is valued at a £500m. During construction, the project will support c450 jobs including apprenticeships and be a leading example of how to create new thriving inclusive spaces whilst respecting architectural heritage and minimising environmental impact. Upon completion, South Molton is estimated to attract c£6.5m of spend per year, and will support c1,000 permanent jobs. The development will also create housing provision of 33 homes – 22 of which are private homes and 11 of which are affordable. In addition, Grosvenor is investing a further £8 million into creating a greener, cleaner and more pedestrian-friendly public realm.

Please describe your approach to this future place and its mix of uses. How will it function as a vibrant place?

As the West End’s largest mixed-use development, South Molton combines best-in-class office space, private and onsite affordable housing, a 5* hotel opportunity and new cafes, shops, restaurants, community, and leisure space, all stitched together with improved public realm. The two corporate HQ office spaces being created will be delivered alongside street level retail and F&B outlets that will create a thriving social hub in the centre of the scheme. The Georgian-era building that make up a large amount of the scheme are being restored by Grosvenor to provide new retail, market, and affordable homes. Across all its phases, the project will enhance the unique character of Mayfair, preserving historic building façades and retaining the area’s landmarks. Grosvenor will also refurbish The Running Horse pub on North Audley Street to provide new space for social and community use. A new pedestrian route is also being created at 10 South Molton Street to create an additional connection between South Molton Street to South Molton Lane and Davies Mews.

What is the environmental impact of the project? How will the carbon use and material impact of the development be mitigated? What is the sustainability strategy?

In line with Grosvenor’s sustainability commitments, South Molton’s development will minimise embodied carbon wherever possible, with offsetting strategies in place to ensure the development is carbon neutral at practical completion. The entire development sits within the North Mayfair Conservation Area, with a significant number of listed buildings which will be preserved and enhanced, including the restoration of 40-46 Brook House into a boutique hotel. The two new offices will net zero in construction and operation, the retrofit of the listed buildings on South Molton Street will be thermally insulated where possible and fitted with new high efficiency lighting, heating and ventilation systems, whilst other new buildings will have a target to use 37% less carbon than a building built to current standards. South Molton is part of the “next generation” of projects being delivered, entirely consistent with the emerging ‘re-use first’ policy, recycling and reusing buildings and materials where practicable to do so, helping to minimise embodied carbon. 11 new trees and additional planting will be situated in the public spaces, as well as on all building terraces and on the facades of some of the buildings. The area will only be serviced by electric vehicles to improve local air quality.