The famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry, where Big Ben was cast, is to be refurbished and redeveloped into a mixed use property and a luxury hotel.
Under the current proposals, part of the Grade II-listed foundry will be refurbished to create new workshops and a cafe themed with a nod to the site's history, whilst the unlisted 1980’s extension in the rear will be demolished and replaced with a 103-room hotel.
The foundry itself closed in 2017 and was sold to US private equity and venture capital firm Raycliff Capital.
Howard Kennedy hosted an Economic Breakfast Briefing in October 2019 on "Opportunities from industrial sites for mixed use developments", of which this is the epitome, with three expert panellists were Honor Fishburn Director of Placemaking at Battersea Power Station, Martin Meech Group Property Director of Travis Perkins and architect Tom Alexander Director of Aukett Swanke.
So in future when a new customer goes in and asks for Bells, they will probably receive a glass of whisky.
A new boutique hotel is set to be developed at a historic bell foundry...Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which has been operating since 1740s, was sold last year by fourth-generation bell-founder Alan and Kathryn Hughes to US investor Raycliff, who will now work on transforming the building into a new luxury hotel.
https://www.boutiquehotelier.com/plans-chime-for-boutique-hotel-in-former-bell-foundry/
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