The Client

London’s historic St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is an iconic building steeped in history. Originally built in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, the five-star hotel features unique historical suites and a host of amenities for its visitors.

Having undergone several redevelopments since its construction, as well as a thwarted demolition proposal from British Rail, the hotel now holds Grade 1 listed status. Its striking gothic architecture and grand interior fixtures have been featured in many popular films, plays and novels.

The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel forms part of the frontage at St Pancras International train station, providing immediate access to the station, as well as King’s Cross, the high-speed Eurostar service and the London Underground.

The Challenge

Due to its iconic status, and its proximity to several key rail hubs, the Renaissance hotel building required a high level of perimeter security to protect against potential threats.

Under advice from a Counter Terror Security Advisor, the hotel approached ATG Access to explore perimeter security options to secure the front of the building, alongside other key access points to the hotel and train station.

The Objective

While a high-security solution was needed to raise the security profile of the site, the project had to account for the building’s historical status and architecture. Three main areas surrounding the estate needed an aesthetically sympathetic physical security design: the Grade I listed hotel frontage, the connecting pedestrian access between the hotel and St Pancras Station, and the station itself.

In addition to accommodating stringent aesthetic requirements, the perimeter security solution would need to be installed on a suspended slab with limited space for foundations, as many of the hotel’s essential services were located directly beneath the entrance. This made traditional depth bollards would be unsuitable for the project.

For more information, solutions, and results, click the link to the full case study.