The Hoxton, Shepherds Bush

Location:  London

Brick Manufacturers: Forterra PLC & Wienerberger Limited

Brick Name: Forterra - Autumn Glow; Chertsey Antique Blend; Westcroft Red Multi. Wienerberger - Cinder Coal White; Forum Smoked Cromo; Forum Smoked Light Grey

Architect: EPR Architects - Adam Jones

Contractor: Blou Construction

EPR was commissioned by Ennismore as architect and lead designer on their new build Hoxton, Shepherd's Bush project, the latest in The Hoxton’s series of open-house hotels - offering an impressive 237 guestrooms, a bar, a restaurant, a lobby, retail space and the brand’s unique meeting and event space known as The Apartment.

Established as design-driven hotels rooted in culture and community, the architectural design unites the vibrant Art Deco characteristics of the local area with The Hoxton’s signature aesthetic and relaxed neighbourhood feel to create a unique new building with timeless character.

The project complements a striking streetscape populated by some of the area’s most significant buildings that are essential to the vibrancy and history of Shepherd's Bush Green, including the newly extended Palladium, Frank Verity's Pavilion and the iconic Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

Brick was the natural choice as the main façade material for the building, resonating with the iconic brick buildings along the Green and aligning with the historic architectural style influences. Brick gave EPR the flexibility to express the hierarchical nature of the elevations in the design, whilst adding texture, character, and a unique colour blend to add richness to the façades.

The front façade addresses the Green with a strong verticality to the central section with grounded brick piers that extend upwards to form a central crown to the building, culminating in glazed brick fins that catch the sunlight. Here, a blend of three different red brick types was used - Autumn Glow, Chertsey Antique Blend, and Westcroft Red Multi - all made in the UK by Forterra PLC, composed on the elevations using a Flemish bond pattern with stepped soldier course banding at key locations, complemented by a carefully considered natural colour sand/cement mortar, reinforcing the building’s elevational grid.

The ground floor contrasts with the floors above using dark grey bricks (itself a blend of two Wienerberger types - Cinder Coal White and Forum Smoked Cromo, with a dark grey mortar), giving richness to the base of the building where it is most visible.

Above the cornice line, a light grey brick is used - Wienerberger Forum Smoked Light Grey - with a light grey mortar, laid in a 20mm stepped vertical coursing profile which adds shadow lines across the top of the building giving a horizontal accent without the need to resort to additional masonry support. Across the elevations, specific emphasis was put on the symmetry of brick detailing of piers to the front and between windows to the rear, using queen closers and specials. Movement joints were cleverly developed as slip planes behind piers to reduce their visual impact across the façade.

The rear elevation is naturally subservient to the front, with the same brick types laid in a Flemish Garden Wall Bond, with smaller windows, establishing a logical hierarchy to the elevations inspired by the neighbouring buildings and theatre vernacular. False window reveals were used on the larger expanses of brick to maintain the rhythm of the openings adding depth and interest.