Planning permission has been granted for the refurbishment and extension of The Scores Hotel at St Andrews. The historic hotel sits a few yards from the first tee at the Old Course, overlooking the Royal & Ancient Golf Clubhouse.
The work to reconfigure the hotel’s existing rooms and add a five-storey extension at the rear to create a 5* luxury hotel with 51 rooms are now due to begin.
The redevelopment, designed by TODD Architects, has been conceived to create a world-class facility to complement the existing hospitality and leisure offer in St Andrews for local residents and visitors. It is being developed on behalf of the hotel’s new owners, a joint venture between Links Collection Capital and Northern Ireland based property investment company, Wirefox, who purchased the property last year.
TODD Architects is working with interior design studio, Goddard Littlefair, to develop a unique and contemporary scheme inspired by the history and splendour of the locale.
Andrew Murray, Director at TODD Architects, said, “The Scores Hotel has been in existence since the mid 1930s and we fully understand the responsibility of restoring such an important and well-loved building for the local community and the tourism trade in the area. This is made all the more poignant as this year the home of golf hosts the 150th Open on the historic links of the Old Course and we will continue to work proactively with both the R&A, local stakeholders and the wider St Andrews community as the scheme progresses.”
Joanne McBurney, Development Director at Wirefox, said: “We welcome the positive decision taken by planners at Fife Council and we are delighted to be able to realise our aim to create a world-class facility to complement the existing offer in St Andrews and the site’s location overlooking golf’s most famous course. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the local residents and community groups we have liaised with over recent months.”
TODD Architects’ design will see bedroom floors in the existing terrace reconfigured to increase room sizes and better benefit from the views over The Old Course and North Sea Coastline. The rear extension features a simple, contemporary look.
The ground floor will contain space for a new destination restaurant and a flexible multi-purpose area that can be used for small weddings or reconfigured into rooms of differing sizes for corporate bookings. A predominantly glazed link will form a connection between the original hotel and the new wing.
The design includes the creation of a modest new stone and glass entrance in a simple contemporary style, reconfigured to contain a dedicated staircase to an upper bar and restaurant.
Andrew Murray concludes: “Whilst a truly special hotel, it has been subject to a series of unsympathetic and piecemeal changes and additions, leading to many of the lovely Victorian spaces being carved up into awkward shapes with difficult access and many level changes. The hierarchy of spaces, dramatic settings and potentially amazing views have been lost. Our aim is to bring it back to its full potential, respecting the existing fabric whilst making sure our contemporary additions sit gracefully within the hotel grounds and the wider conservation area.
“It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the ongoing story of such an important and historic building as The Scores Hotel. Building on our growing portfolio of hospitality and leisure schemes throughout the UK, we have drawn on our experience to enhance and add value to the property with a workable layout and additions that respect the proud history of the site and St Andrews, the home of Golf.”