Rockpanel were very pleased and proud to be specified by the iconic hotel and leisure brand for its new hotel and adjacent restaurant in the idyllic setting of Willen Lakes, Milton Keynes. 

Enhancing a popular leisure destination 

With more than 80,000 rooms across 800 locations, Whitbread PLC-owned Premier Inn was named Which? (www.which.co.uk/) top rated UK hotel chain for 2019. Its new 120 bedroom hotel and 211 cover Brewers Fayre restaurant and Inn overlook the Lake at the area’s favourite public park, which attracts more than 750,000 visitors annually. The 180 acres site features two lakes with fishing and watersports along with many other outdoor pursuits and special events, plus a miniature railway and opportunities to experience the abundance of bird and other wildlife in more tranquil lakeside settings. 

“Willen Lake is managed by The Parks Trust. We have been working hard to improve the visitor experience at what is one of Milton Keynes’ most popular leisure destinations. The new Premier Inn hotel and restaurant will attract new visitors and will be an important contribution to the city’s visitor economy. The rental income from this venture goes directly back into the charity to support its important work, caring for Milton Keynes’ parks.” Ben Allot, Head of Property at The Parks Trust. 

Creating that crisp, contemporary aesthetic 

Working with Whitbread’s dedicated team, CHQ Architects were responsible for the project design. The 50 strong practice was formed in 1982, works across several sectors, and has an ongoing relationship with Premier Inn. One of the largest privately owned South Wales based construction companies, Carter Lauren, acted as main contractor and award winning specialists, A2O Cladding, carried out the installation of around 2500m2 of Rockpanel façades across both buildings.  

The new four storey hotel is a latest-generation Premier Inn with a bespoke, contemporary  design to reflect the site’s setting. The adjacent single storey light-filled eaterie features double-height windows to the front with striking wedge-shaped side elevations which extend into a cantilevered sunshade above exterior seating overlooking the lake. 

We were instructed to supply and install the support and panels for the Rockpanel rainscreen. The project went well on quite a tight programme. The separate restaurant was also clad in Rockpanel to the same finishes as the hotel. It was a good experience using Rockpanel with most panels ordered to size and some full sheets supplied for on-site adjustment to ensure accuracy. -A2O Pre-Construction Manager William Carter.

Organic warmth with ultimate fire safety 

The façades are a play between the main elevations, clad in a randomised pattern of vertical planks in five super realistic options from the Rockpanel Woods collection, together with bold, projecting, feature planes in rectangular anthracite grey. The five finishes specified for the planks are Ceramic Oak, Rhinestone Oak, Ebony Slate, Slate Oak and Ebony Granite. 

Rockpanel Woods emulate the natural organic warmth and workability of wood with none of the maintenance and ageing issues associated with it. Made from a core of naturally ocurring volcanic basalt stone wool, all Rockpanel façades embody superior durability and fire resilience, are virtually maintenance-free and insensitive to moisture and temperature changes.  

A2O Pre-Construction Manager William Carter, “We were instructed to supply and install the support and panels for the Rockpanel rainscreen. The project went well on quite a tight programme. The separate restaurant was also clad in Rockpanel to the same finishes as the hotel. It was a good experience using Rockpanel with most panels ordered to size and some full sheets supplied for on-site adjustment to ensure accuracy.” 

Rockpanel Area Manger Darren Gormer, “The 9mm A2 Rockpanel façades installed at Wilden Lakes meet the highest European fire safety standards, being classified as Euroclass A2-s1, d0: non-combustible. The lightweight panels are easy to cut on site, saving time and money, always in the knowledge that they will satisfy the most stringent fire safety standards. Rockpanel façades also score very highly in terms of environmental standards, with around 50% of panels made from recycled material. They are also easily demountable and fully recyclable into new products at the end of their long life, with no loss of quality.”