Dixon Jones have been appointed by The Howard De Walden to prepare proposals for the redevelopment of 50-54 Beaumont Street, known as Macintosh House. It is proposed to redevelop the site in its entirety and to provide specialist medical accommodation for King Edward VII Hospital, which complements the character and function of the street.
Since its inception in the mid-18th century, this area of Marylebone, has experienced further layers of development which have contributed an agreeable sense of variety to the place. The pattern of streets, with their characteristic ‘areas’ separating the building line from the pavement, has in most cases remained intact. The introduction of the bay window in the late 19th century is noticeable as a device for bringing additional character, light and views to the relatively narrow streets. This is particularly appropriate for the medical consulting rooms that are now proposed.
With these observations in mind our design maintains the Georgian ‘area’ and introduces the bay window, not unlike the facade to the Edward VII Hospital opposite. However, we have divided the thirty metre long façade into three bays. This introduces a vertical, rather than the existing horizontal emphasis of Macintosh House to the elevation, not dissimilar in proportion to the houses which once originally occupied the site. Our proposal reintroduces the Georgian elevational devise of a base, middle and top. A rusticated ground floor would define the building line, the entrance, and the ‘area’ below. The three floors above would be represented by the bay windows and the fourth floor would be set back and topped with an ‘eyebrow’ over the length of the façade, drawing the building together into a single composition.
Construction is due to commence in 2017.