OvalHouse Hotel
- Client: Surrey County Cricket Club
- Architect: Rolfe Judd Architecture
- Contacts: Nia Jardine, Jan Donovan
- LPA: London Borough of Lambeth
The redevelopment of the former Oval House Theatre provides much needed hotel and commercial space to compliment the expansion of the Oval Cricket Ground, following the relocation of the theatre to a more suitable space in Brixton in 2020.
Ovalhouse was a lively theatre on the Kennington Oval, opposite the famous Oval cricket ground. It was known for its support for artists – professional and young people – for over 50 years – commissioning new work that responded to social and political issues, and work that reflected the cultural diversity of its local community.
One of the key opportunities for the scheme was the potential to improve on the poor existing public realm along the site’s frontage with Kennington Oval in front of the new set back hotel building.
The Hotel has been shaped to respect the context, reducing its height towards the White House. At the same time, it is higher around the corner, aligning with Lockwood House corner height. Also, a gridded elevation has been applied to align with the local vernacular.
The new scheme improves the quality of public realm and the architectural appearance, reflecting the gridded elevation so typical to the surrounding buildings in a more contemporary fashion, expressing the corner and the top level with a metal treatment to blend within its context.
The new hotel provides high-quality stays for cricket fans, tourists and businesses travelling to London. The Hotel will also allow Surrey County Cricket Club to host multi-day business events and conferences while preserving the commercial area and the public facilities as the restaurant/bar of the hotel is open to the public.
