Studio Moren Hotel Retrofit Approved in Camden 2026

Key Points

• Camden Council granted planning permission for two separate central London building extension projects during a meeting on Thursday evening (30 July).
• Studio Moren’s revised scheme for Kingsway House involves the demolition of 4 Great Queen Street and 62 Parker Street, alongside the erection of a new seven-storey building to facilitate an 80-room aparthotel conversion.
• The approved Kingsway House proposals build upon a 2024 consent, lowering the main building extension by one storey while shifting extra floorspace to the Great Queen Street demolition-and-rebuild component.
• Adjustments to the massing saw Kingsway House reduced by one storey and Great Queen Street increased by two storeys, incorporating set-backs on the upper two levels to reduce visual impact.
• Separately, Maith Design secured unanimous approval for an extension ranging between two and seven storeys, a basement extension, and a mansard roof for the Four Points Flex hotel on Upper Woburn Place in Bloomsbury.
• The Kingsway House scheme passed with a nine-to-one vote, whereas the Four Points Flex hotel extension received unanimous backing from the council.

London (Extra London News) August 4, 2026 — Camden Council has officially granted planning permission for two distinct hotel development and extension schemes across central London, headlined by Studio Moren’s redesigned proposals for the conversion of Kingsway House.As reported by architectural publication Building Design, the local authority greenlit the proposals during a planning meeting held on Thursday evening, July 30. The decision marks a significant progression for urban hospitality architecture in the district, touching key sites in both Holborn and Bloomsbury. The primary initiative, handled by architectural practice Studio Moren, represents an elaboration of an office-to-hotel conversion that originally secured consent back in 2024. Alongside this, council members evaluated and approved a separate hospitality expansion brought forward by Maith Design for an existing hotel property on Upper Woburn Place.

What Are the Specific Details of Studio Moren’s Kingsway House Scheme?

According to documentation reviewed by journalists, the approved plans submitted by Studio Moren entail the complete demolition of properties located at 4 Great Queen Street and 62 Parker Street.

In their place, builders will erect a brand-new seven-storey building that operates as an integral part of the wider office-to-hotel conversion surrounding Kingsway House.

The new layout serves as a direct enhancement and modification of previous permissions granted in 2024, which initially sought to add a seventh and eighth-storey mansard extension directly onto Kingsway House while changing its designated use. Under the newly sanctioned blueprint, the physical extension directly atop Kingsway House has been scaled down by a single storey.

To compensate and capture the necessary spatial requirements, the newly proposed demolition-and-rebuild component next door on Great Queen Street has been designed to deliver vital extra floorspace for the incoming 80-room aparthotel.

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Why Were Changes Made to the Massing and Heights of the Great Queen Street and Kingsway House Proposals?

During the initial preliminary stages of architectural design, the massing mapped out for Great Queen Street was intended to directly match the height parameters of the previously consented Kingsway House scheme. This early strategy sought to construct a unified, seamless street frontage while addressing the diverse and varying scales found within the surrounding urban context.

However, as the design underwent further refinement and development, structural adjustments altered these dimensions.

Planners lowered the Kingsway House extension by one storey while elevating the Great Queen Street portion by two storeys.

Explaining the rationale behind these geometric shifts, the project’s official design and access statement noted that these adjustments helped

“achieve a scale more appropriate to the surrounding streetscape while maintaining a coherent relationship between the two frontages”.

Furthermore, to mitigate environmental and visual concerns, the two uppermost storeys on the Great Queen Street elevation have been deliberately set back. This architectural choice was implemented to cut down on visual intrusion and establish

“a more refined transition with the surrounding buildings”.

What Was Decided Regarding the Four Points Flex Hotel on Upper Woburn Place?

While the spotlight largely focused on the complex choreography of the Holborn site, Camden Council simultaneously evaluated a second major hospitality application during the same session.

As detailed in reports covering the planning meeting, the council granted formal approval for the erection of an extensive addition to the Four Points Flex hotel, situated on Upper Woburn Place in Bloomsbury. Drafted by Maith Design, the project is structured to significantly increase the footprint and operational capacity of the existing hotel establishment.

The comprehensive expansion strategy encompasses a tiered extension ranging anywhere between two and seven storeys in height.

Additionally, the scheme incorporates the construction of a brand-new mansard roof across the buildings, a substantial basement extension, and a series of mandatory ancillary works required to support the upgraded structural layout.

How Did Councillors Vote on These Central London Proposals?

The political and municipal reception of the two projects reflected broad consensus among local representatives, though one scheme faced minor dissent.

According to municipal records from the chamber, the high-profile Kingsway House scheme advanced by Studio Moren was subjected to a formal vote, ultimately securing planning consent by a decisive margin of nine votes to one.

In contrast, the proposal submitted by Maith Design for the Four Points Flex hotel in Bloomsbury encountered zero resistance among the committee members.

That application achieved a completely unanimous vote of approval from the council, clearing the path for construction works to proceed on both fronts without further municipal delay.