The Landing Hotel at Biggin Hill Airport in London

Ketley Staffordshire blue bricks  

Ketley Staffordshire blue plinth bricks

Main Contractors - Barnes Construction

Architects - Scott Brownrigg

Photographer - Clare Banks

Biggin Hill airport is a dedicated business aviation centre in London and its new boutique hotel, The Landing,  lies to the side of runway 03.  It has 56 rooms arranged over 4 floors as well as a restaurant, bar and fitness suite.

The proximity of the plot to the runway was an important consideration for Architects Scott Brownrigg in their design of the new scheme.  They specified Ketley Staffordshire blue Class A bricks for the external walls to provide the highest level of acoustic isolation.  All Ketley’s bricks are manufactured to Class A specification, the highest engineering grade, with extremely low water absorption and very high compressive strength.  These properties also mean they are incredibly dense; they are quite simply the toughest bricks you can buy!

High acoustic performing windows and window units were also used and the building's acoustic performance as a result was 10dB over Building Regulation requirements.

Main contractors Barnes Construction added detail to the brickwork façade using inset brick panels adjacent to the windows.  These shallower sections of brickwork break up the monolithic block bringing shadows and interest to the facade.  Bespoke plinth bricks were installed at the base of the inset panels to allow water to run off.