Scheme will require demolition of Walters & Cohen children鈥檚 play area
HOK has lodged plans for a timber-framed family restaurant at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in west London.
But the 165-cover structure will require the demolition of a 1,200 sq m children鈥檚 centre designed by Walters & Cohen and completed in 2004 at a cost of 拢800,000.
Planning documents submitted to Richmond council earlier this month describe Walters & Cohen鈥檚 glass Climbers & Creepers centre as 鈥渘ot fit for purpose 鈥� due to the hard surfaces and potential for broken glass鈥�.
HOK鈥檚 design and access statement said the glasshouse had been designed to store plants during the renovation of Kew鈥檚 Palm House, only to be converted to 鈥渢emporarily鈥� serve another purpose.
The practice added that its proposals would reuse the concrete slab on which Climbers & Creepers currently sits. HOK鈥檚 proposals have a slightly smaller gross internal area 鈥� 1,124sq m 鈥� than the Walters & Cohen centre.
HOK said Kew wanted to open the restaurant in 2021, subject to planning consent. Richmond is currently consulting on the proposals.
Others working on the scheme include Mott MacDonald as structural and M&E engineer and planning consultant LUC.
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