Plans submitted for redevelopment of Cameron House hotel following fatal fire
Planning documents have been submitted for the redevelopment of Cameron House hotel overlooking Loch Lomond after it was destroyed in a fire that killed two people in December 2017.
The documents outline the level of damage suffered by the 136-bedroom five-AA-star hotel in West Dunbartonshire, just months after the completion of a £4m refurbishment project.
Severe damage to the internal structure of the building means much of it will need to be taken down, but conservation architects Simpson & Brown and lead designers 3Dreid have detailed plans to retain and restore its facade.
Plans state that the new internal structure will be designed sympathetically to allow for the re-creation of the building's most precious internal spaces, while incorporating new features within the roof space that are "recognisably contemporary".
Designers have said: "Such new interventions are identifiable as contemporary additions rather than appearing as a mock add-on, demonstrating that the hotel is now looking towards a brighter future while still remaining sympathetic to its notable past."
Previous timber roofs and floors have been either completely destroyed by the fire or left in a poor condition due to exposure to water and falling masonry, while internal loading walls suffered serious damage.
Some internal walls have already been removed and most of the remaining floors will need to be taken down with experts concluding they are in a "fundamentally unsound structural condition".
The hotel's tower and chimney, both demolished earlier this year due to safety concerns, will be rebuilt.
American private equity firm KSL Capital Partners, the hotel's owners, plans to re-open the property at the earliest opportunity, noting the impact of its closure on the local economy, employment and tourism. Its website gives the date of Autumn 2019.
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