Welbeck Street car park
Welbeck Street car park is a multi-storey car park in Marylebone just off Oxford Street in central London.
The car park was designed by Michael Blampied and Partners for the nearby Debenhams store and was completed in 1970. Its unusual design consists of a tessellated façade of prefabricated concrete polygons, the bottom point of each slotting alongside one of the corners of another.
The frame is open to the elements, acting like the radiator grill of a car in that it ventilates fumes from the interior.
Despite being seen as a Brutalist landmark in the city, the car park was denied listed status by Historic England in 2016. Although they described is as '...an exemplar of 1960s car parks’, Historic England said that ‘...it does not meet the very high bar for listing buildings of this date… The car park is not innovatory in terms of its structure and also exhibits flaws in its design.’
Shortly after listing was denied, it was sold to Shiva Hotels in a reported £100 million deal reflecting its lucrative site so close to the UK’s busiest commercial street.
In August 2017, it was announced that the car park would be demolished and replaced with a 10-storey hotel.
Consternation has been raised about the decision, with some continuing to argue the case for its architectural merit, such as Sam Jacob of FAT who has written: ‘…it is part of a small gang, a batch of buildings produced in a small window when car parks were treated as civic monuments, significant structures that expressed the modernity of the moment.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation which closes 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.
Comments
Welbeck Street car park
The car park, designed by Michael Blampied and Partners, was completed in 1970 for the use of the nearby Debenhams store using a design of tessellated concrete polygons
Can anyone tell me please who built this car park? Was it Sir Robert McAlpine?