Most recently we have assisted Leonardo Hotels with a comprehensive refurbishment of the Midland Hotel’s public areas at ground floor, though Mark Kitson’s experience with this building spans four decades. Over the years, working with different owners, we have been involved in ongoing maintenance and renewal of this prestigious Grade II* listed building in Manchester city centre.
Opened in 2020, the new concept of the lobby by interior designers Sundara Design was to create a bustling meeting place inspired by the original winter garden which occupied this space. The restaurant was refurbished to evoke memories of the railway heritage of the hotel and is styled in traditional materials.
In 2013, KITSON Architecture were appointed to assist the interior designers, Style Contracts, and the design team to obtain Listed Building consent for the refurbishment of a key restaurant space within the Midland Hotel, formerly the Colony Restaurant and now Mr Cooper’s. Our role was to manage the planning and listed building consent issues utilising our experience of working on this prestigious building for many years. This successful city centre venue was featured in the Condé Nast Traveller magazine Gold Standard 2015 list as one of their all-time favourite Cocktail Bars from around the world.
In 2008, After recognising the need for additional pre-function space for the main Alexandra Suite at the Midland Hotel, Mark was instructed to undertake a review of all the available back of house spaces to identify potential refurbishment options. A scheme was submitted to convert a back bar beer store into a new pre-function bar and break out function suite. The new suite provides a separate bar area along with a new designated street entrance which enhances the potential for the use of the main function room as a standalone resource.
In 2006, Mark Kitson was the Project Architect and Project Manager on a £13m project which involved the full refurbishment of the 312 bedrooms and all public areas. The building operation was fully reviewed at an early stage with nine additional bedrooms and a potential bar space identified and included within the project creating new revenue streams for the hotel. As lead designer of a team including two interior designers, services and structural engineers, hotel staff and client, Mark undertook the complex coordination of the phasing of works to ensure the hotel remained trading throughout with minimal disruption.
Other projects at this hotel include the French Restaurant and the Spa at the Midland.
