Living

Old Course Hotel: Millennium Wing

Brief

The hotel owners were looking to extend the hotel to offer further accommodation.  With the tightest of development constraints imposed by the site's proximity to the Old Course itself and the restrictions imposed by the Links Trust, this was to be a long and complex development process - rarely is the trajectory of a wayward drive a prime consideration in the arrangement and scale of fenestration in a building!

Response

Keppie developed the Millennium extension building during the period 1998 – 2000.  The two storey accommodation created an additional wing of eighteen luxury suites, over two levels, all with Old Course views.  These suites imposed a new stylish interior language which set the tone for public areas below.  Solutions looked to define an approach which could be rolled out in phases around the floors of the existing hotel which adopted a quite traditional approach.  Materially, a masculine cool palette developed with strong dark timbers offset by softer shades with en-suites being generous where interior finishes focus on limestone, with highlights in black marble and hand-cut mosaics.

Additionally, a grand ground level gathering space was created at the interface of the main building and the new wing.  A dynamic Japanese pavilion approach was pursued with the creation of a flexible central space, capable of providing for smaller social groupings and contrastingly a grand function space seating some one hundred and fifty guests formally.

Outcome

The development challenged our visionary skills as the additional accommodation could easily have ended up adjunct from the main building.  However, via a single sided corridor, Keppie successfully created an inviting, relaxed transitory space which seamlessly linked the old with the new.  The newly created suites offer the pinnacle of luxury and have become the chosen sanctuary of many of the world's top golfers when the international tour comes to town.  Pleasingly, ten years on this wing of the hotel retains a timeless style and continues to be popular with guests from all over the world.

Team