Mimi's Hotel Soho

The redevelopment of 56–57 Frith Street transformed two historic Soho buildings into Mimi's Hotel Soho, a 65-bedroom boutique hotel in the heart of London's West End. The project involved the complete redevelopment of the existing buildings behind retained façades, creating new guest accommodation, reception and hospitality facilities while preserving the character of the historic street elevations. Extensive structural alterations, new reinforced concrete floors, a new internal frame and modern building services were integrated to deliver a contemporary hotel within a retained historic envelope.

A defining feature of the project was the complex façade retention strategy. The existing masonry elevations to Frith Street and Bateman Street were temporarily supported using an extensive system of flying shores, soldier beams, ladder beams and façade retention scaffolding, allowing the internal structure to be demolished and reconstructed while maintaining the stability of the historic façades. The temporary works required detailed engineering and careful sequencing, with all permanent structural works coordinated around the retained building envelope before the façade supports could be removed.

Situated in the centre of Soho, the project presented significant logistical challenges. Working within narrow streets and surrounded by neighbouring properties, deliveries and waste removal had to be carefully managed using dedicated traffic management plans, temporary road closures on Bateman Street and a conveyor loading system positioned above the public footway. Safe pedestrian routes were maintained beneath the façade retention scaffold throughout the works, ensuring the surrounding streets remained operational while construction progressed within an extremely restricted site.

The completed development delivered a high-quality 65-bedroom boutique hotel that combines contemporary hospitality accommodation with the retained architectural character of historic Soho. Successfully delivered within one of London's most demanding urban environments, the project demonstrates Patterson Construction's expertise in complex temporary works, façade retention, structural redevelopment and the delivery of technically challenging projects within constrained city-centre locations.