Project snapshot
Project: The Whiteley
Location: 151 Queensway, Bayswater, London W2
Developer: MARK (formerly Meyer Bergman) and CC Land Holdings, with Finchatton (now Valouran) as development manager
Architect: Foster + Partners
Main contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Metalwork subcontractor: CMF Ltd
Scope: 4no. large-format hydraulically operated double-leaf flush floor access hatches (3no. FR120 fire-rated, 1no. non-fire-rated), plus an independent third-party expert judgement report for fire classification beyond the directly tested size range.
The project
The Whiteley is a £1 billion+ transformation of one of London’s most celebrated buildings. Originally opened in 1911 as the Whiteleys department store — founded by William Whiteley, the self-styled “Universal Provider” — the Grade II listed Edwardian Baroque building on Queensway had been closed as a shopping centre since 2018. The redevelopment, designed by Foster + Partners and delivered by Laing O’Rourke, retains and restores the building’s iconic four-storey Portland stone façade, central glass dome, and grand marble staircase while inserting a new mixed-use programme of 153 luxury residences, 109 hotel rooms (the UK’s first Six Senses), and approximately 20 retail and leisure tenants. The Six Senses hotel opened in March 2026, completing one of the most ambitious heritage regeneration projects in central London.
The challenge
Within a building of this heritage significance, every element visible at floor level needed to satisfy exacting architectural standards while still providing safe, reliable access to below-ground service zones. The floor access hatches needed to sit flush within finished floor surfaces, operate safely under hydraulic power with emergency manual backup, and — in three of the four locations — achieve FR120 (2-hour) fire resistance to integrity. Two of the fire-rated units required structural openings of 6225 x 3300mm, exceeding the largest directly tested and certified size of 3000 x 4000mm, requiring an independent expert judgement report to validate fire performance at the larger dimensions.
Surespan’s solution
Surespan supplied four bespoke SAC double-leaf, hydraulically operated flush floor access hatches in aluminium and galvanised steel, each configured to suit the specific structural opening and performance requirements of its location:
- 1no. SAC/FR120 double-leaf flush floor hatch — 3435 x 3300mm structural opening, FR120 fire-rated, designed for 7.5 kN/m² UDL, with trolley-mounted hand pump for emergency use
- 2no. SAC/FR120 double-leaf flush floor hatches — 6225 x 3300mm structural opening, FR120 fire-rated, designed for 7.5 kN/m² UDL, each with trolley-mounted hand pump
- 1no. SAC/DL double-leaf flush floor hatch — 8238 x 3612mm structural opening, non-fire-rated, designed for 15 kN/m² UDL, with trolley-mounted hand pump
All four hatches shared a common specification framework:
- Hydraulic operation with lids opening to a maximum 85 degrees
- Trolley-mounted hand pump for emergency manual operation
- Removable support beams for clear-span access when open
- Hidden-hinge frames with smoke seals
- Self-draining design with integral drainage channel and ¾-inch flexible hose adaptor
- Internal shelf angles to all four sides where required
- Finished self-colour aluminium
Fire performance and expert judgement
The three FR120 units were designed and constructed to provide 2-hour fire resistance for integrity, tested in accordance with BS EN 1634-1:2008 and BS EN 1363-1:1999 (test report no. FIRES-FR-053-14-AUNE). As the two largest fire-rated hatches (6225 x 3300mm) exceeded the maximum directly tested size of 3000 x 4000mm, Surespan commissioned an independent expert judgement report from an accredited third-party laboratory. This report defines the resistance-to-fire classification for the larger units based on assessment against the original test data, providing the project team with formal evidence of fire performance for units beyond the scope of direct testing.
Delivery
All hatches were supplied via CMF Ltd, the specialist architectural metalwork and structural steelwork subcontractor responsible for the relevant package under Laing O’Rourke’s main contract. Orders were placed across five sales orders between December 2021 and July 2023, reflecting the phased delivery programme typical of a complex heritage construction sequence.
