Grand Designs, The Gothic Mansion

I remember the first time I saw this Grand Design and what struck me as odd was how the couple aimed for a movie style rather than a historically accurate piece of architecture. The whole project was based around a monumental staircase complete with gargoyles.

The couplealso insisted on having a huge stone fireplace which dominated the room and looked disproportionate to the other furniture.

The exterior was a mixture of window styles, some gothic and pointed, some modern and rectangular along with a very modern entrance hall. The whole house, although very expensive, just seems a cheap remake of a gothic film set.

The Glass Offices, Leeds

The office block on Park Row in Leeds is a completely glass structure which was the first of its kind in Europe. The innovative design stands strong against the traditional architecture of the surrounding banks and restaurants. In the dark there are LED lights which show an array of colours.

The structure really stands out in the road as many of the other buildings are formed from converted banks. But while it does stand out it doesn't look out of place, the ground floor is completely visible from the sreet which is fine as it is a reception but the other floors have the offices slightly set back so they are more private.

Stanley House, The New

The new part of Stanley House houses the function rooms and restaurant, even though the building is new there is one original feature wall.




The approach is obvious as it lead to directly by the sweeping drive, the double wooden doors make a large entrance. The sheltered entrance (very useful with the northern weather) draws people to the front door and as a hotel this is essential as it needs to appear welcoming. As opposed to the house, the lobby of the main building is modern and sleek. The main doors lead to the reception desk and foyer which has large grey floor tiles and a silver and granite reception desk. The main focus of the foyer is a large chandelier in the middle of a curved staircase leading to the first floor. The space under the staircase is often used for tables or a cloak room depending on the event, so although there is a dead space it is useful even though it was not intended to be so.

From the outside of the building you can see into the buidling through the double height windows at either end, giving the customer a view into both the restaurant and the brasserie. Also from the inside the windows give fantastic views over the surrounding countryside. You cannot however see into the more private areas of the hotel such as the offices.

As with the house the main building is very imposing in its surroundings with the look of a converted barn, this is none more evident than in the first floor function rooms aptly named "The Barn" with exposed (albeit new) A-beams. To create a more homely feel, the exterior is covered in climbing plants which also blends into the surroundings and makes it appear as though the house has been there all along.

As it is a business, there are areas where customers are not allowed such as the offices and kitchens. To identify these areas, the doors for all public rooms have recangular panes of glass which allow people to look in, whereas doors leading to private areas are solid. This is true everywhere except the kitchens, which do have panes of glass in the windows.

The public rooms have lots of windows to let in light and offer views of the surroundings, the private rooms have few windows possibly to secure the privacy of what goes on behind the scenes.

The building is new but based on the old barns and stables of the manor house and is therefore connected to the history of the surrounding village. The use is obviously very different to how it used to be but the space is great for events with the size of the function rooms.

The movement through the building is not completely obvious and people often find themselves wandering into the wrong area. For example, many people head for the restaurant instead of the reception as it is the first room you come to. the foyer is often used as the reception area for weddings and this can be invasive to other guests.

I think the building has improved the area, as I said in the previous blog, many people did not know the house was there before and as the house was derelict and on private land it gives people the opportunity to view it.

I can assume there was some opposition from the public with increased traffic to the area and noise pollution as there are houses near.

http://www.stanleyhouse.co.uk/

Stanley House Hotel, The Old

Stanley House was the manor house of Mellor and in 2004 was bought by the Walker family (of Walker Steel) and converted into a hotel. The Manor house was virtually derelict when it was purchased, it has since been converted in 12 individually designed bedrooms with a comfortable lobby. As a Grade II listed building was sympathetically renovated and the function (apart from now being a hotel) has barely changed.

The function of the house is to appear welcoming as a hotel but the rooms need to be private.

The house has an obvious approach with paths leading from the residents car park and the back of the main building (mostly used by staff), three paths also join together from the brasserie, main car park and residents car park which circle around a circular area of the garden and then lead on the main path to the house.

The main entrance door is large and oak and leads into a porch area before the half oak half glass door which leads into the lobby. The entrance of the hotel and stairs extends out from the rest of the house making a very prominent architectural feature. In the dark there are lights outside which produce a warm inviting glow and lead to the main front door.

From the outside you can see into the lobby because of the lights but it is hard to see into the room on the ground floor. This is because the windows are four long rectangular windows which let in a lot of light but are more private than one big window. Obviously the windows have not been changed since the house was built in 1650 (Grade II listing means no historical material can be removed or anything which will change the character of the building). There are windows on every face of the house, this is because of the individual rooms and all the windows are as mentioned above with four small rectangular windows together.

The house is surrounded by grass on both sides and the back, this deters people from walking around the back of the house. This is mainly because the ground floor room with disabled access has a terrace which means it is kept private. There is no shade from the main building of the hotel as the house is not connected and they are about 500 yards away from each other.

The lobby is is very welcoming with an inglenook fireplace housing a wood burning fire, this alone is very welcoming as it gives the hotel a homely feel (compared to the main building which is very sleek and modern). The furnishings are very plush with rich colours and comfortable chairs, and the dark polished wood adds to the warm and homely feel. This means the feeling is welcoming and open to everyone as this is the communal area.

The circulation of the house is very important as people need to feel they are free to walk around the lobby but that the rest of the rooms remain private to those who are staying in them. The flow is fairly structured as depending on the room the customer is staying in dictates the way they move around the house. The lobby leads through a door onto a corridor containing the doors of the ground floor rooms or a door to the right leading to the main staircase, another door leads to the door of the last ground floor room and the fire exit. On the next two floors, corridors lead to two doors on either side which lead to the bedrooms.

The grand staircase is square in shape meaning that the dead space is reduced, under the ground floor staircase is the house keeping cupboard. The staircase leads onto a corridor which leads off through 2 doors to the rooms and the same again on the next landing.

The house is very grand and imposing in the surroundings and sits well within the manicured gardens and modern hotel. The house is connected to the history of the adjacent village and is not intrusive to residential areas surrounding it. I believe it has renewed the interest of the local history as many people were not aware it was there before.

http://www.stanleyhouse.co.uk

The Grand, Clitheroe

The Grand at Clitheroe was a cinema which was sold after the opening of the Vue cinema. The cinema has since been turned into a performing arts centre complete with recording studio, performance area and cafe. The outside is canopied onto the pavement with glass doors and windows making the look ultra modern compared to the old exterior. The doors lead to a ramp to the main stage which makes for great disabled access.

The new use is a fantastic use for the space and a great project for both residents of Clitheroe, bands and famous singers.