Hotel conversion plans for disused office block next to Angel tube station

"A large office block next to Angel tube station could be converted into a hotel with a publicly accessible rooftop bar. The building, Regents House, was constructed in the 1980s for the Royal Bank of Scotland as a mix of extra office space for their staff and a disaster contingency centre should other offices around London become unusable. It was common thinking at the time that if a disaster occurred, they would need a backup office to keep on working."

"Built in a modern style, the office was wrapped in a doughnut around a central courtyard. With three basements, it also served as their centralised cash-holding depot on the lower ground and basement levels, with banking vaults and room-sized safes. The cash-handling facilities were moved out in the 2010s, and the building was refurbished internally in 2015."

"However, the bank later moved out, and although offered for rent to other tenants, it's been largely empty for several years. A new plan is now looking to refurbish the building and convert it into a 640-room hotel. Although the specifics are still being worked out, they also expect to include a rooftop bar, accessible from outside the hotel and open to everyone."

"The name of the building, by the way, comes from the Regents Canal, which just about runs under the northern corner of the building, and hence why the basements are slightly smaller than the rest of the building."

Regents House, built in the 1980s for the Royal Bank of Scotland near Angel tube station, originally combined extra office space with a disaster contingency centre. The design included a modern doughnut shape around a central courtyard and three basements used for centralised cash holding, including banking vaults and room-sized safes. Cash-handling operations were moved out in the 2010s, and internal refurbishment occurred in 2015. After the bank later vacated, the building remained largely empty for several years. A new proposal aims to refurbish and convert it into a 640-room hotel, with plans for a rooftop bar accessible from outside the hotel and open to everyone. The building’s name comes from the nearby Regents Canal.

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