Morley House and City Temple Church

Consultation Website

View our proposals

Transforming Morley House and securing the long-term future of City Temple church

We are proud to be bringing City Temple Church back to the heart of the City, restoring this significant heritage asset and ensuring its future as a vital community space.
The redevelopment of the site will secure the long-term future of City Temple Church and provide a 600-seat conference and meeting facility plus new flexible commercial space, enriching the cultural fabric of the area. This investment will reinstate City Temple Church as a community asset, supporting the vibrant congregation and providing a space for local community groups, including St Bart’s choir, to return.

Alongside this, an existing planning permission for a new hotel on the Morley House part of the site is to be replaced with a revised design, transforming the existing underutilised office building into a high-quality, sustainably designed hotel, operated under Staycity’s premium Wilde brand.

Thank you to everyone who took part in our public consultation. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping the proposals.
Following this engagement, we have now submitted our planning application to the City of London Corporation. We would welcome supportive comments on the application to help bring these proposals forward.
You can view the plans on the City of London Planning Portal (Reference: 25/00964/FULL).

The team

Altius Real Estate

Altius Real Estate is an independently owned, multi-disciplinary developer working across the full spectrum of land uses from acquisition through to occupation. The Altius team is experienced in Central London development, working with best-in-class partners across office, residential and hospitality sectors.

Altius’s most recent project is 20 Carlton House Terrace, an exemplar 200,000 sqft adaptive reuse office scheme in St James. Altius is a certified B Corp with a foundational belief in the principles of ESG.

Staycity

Staycity, Operator and Funder – Staycity is one of Europe’s leading hotel operators with over 6,000 rooms across Europe. The company is targeting locations like Farringdon that provide a combination of cultural, leisure and business.

The Wilde brand, proposed for Morley House, is Staycity’s premium offer, combining hotel standards with apartment living so guests can enjoy the comforts of home, whether they are staying for a week, a month or a year. Staycity has an ambitious ESG Strategy that includes carbon mitigation measures in both construction and operation.

Aukett Swanke

Aukett Swanke is a London-based Architecture, Masterplanning, and Interior Design studio dedicated to smart, sustainable design that has a lasting, positive impact on people and communities. 
They create places and buildings that enrich their neighbourhoods, the lives of the people that use them and that have a strong sense of responsibility to the planet. Aukett Swanke’s studio is in Moorgate, and they currently have a number of projects in the City of London. Their portfolio in the City stretches back over 50 years, and includes hotels and leisure.

Explore the site

Morley House is a well-positioned site on Holborn Viaduct, the gateway to London's Culture Mile.

The site sits between the Grade II-listed Step House and the historic City Temple church, with the Grade I-listed Church of St Andrew, Holborn, forming part of its wider setting. With significant developments shaping the surrounding context, Morley House presents a unique opportunity to contribute to the area’s continued transformation. Located within a five-minute walk of Farringdon Station, the site benefits from exceptional connectivity via the Elizabeth Line and City Thameslink.
While the previous owner initiated early works, including a soft strip and tower crane installation, the project has yet to progress. Currently, Morley House is an outdated 1980s office building, partially prepared but never fully redeveloped by previous owners. With existing planning permission for hotel use granted in 2020, and further revised in 2022, the building presents a unique opportunity for transformation, unlocking the full potential of this site through sensitive redevelopment.
View Location
Proposed Holborn Viaduct Elevation

Our Proposals

Restoring City Temple church to bring this key community heritage asset back to the City of London

Restoring the church as a community asset, providing local community groups including St Bart’s choir with the space and opportunity to return

New flexible meeting and event space at City Temple church, providing a sustainable source of income to ensure the future of City Temple

A high quality building and landmark hotel, with an F&B, pantry shop and coworking offer, that will enhance the City of London’s hospitality offering along with separate new workspace

A sustainable and future-focused design, featuring air source heat pumps, minimal rooftop plant, and opportunities for greening and biodiversity net gain

Enhancing the streetscape with active frontages and an improved pedestrian experience, bolstering the vibrancy of Holborn Viaduct

Indicative Images

Proposed redevelopment on Holborn Viaduct, viewed from the junction of Charterhouse Street, with City Temple visible in the foreground
Proposed redevelopment on Shoe Lane, viewed from the junction with Plumtree Court

Indicative Images - Hotel Ground Floor

Illustrative image of hotel entrance on Holborn Viaduct
Illustrative image of hotel entrance on Holborn Viaduct
Illustrative image of hotel ground floor facade on Holborn Viaduct
Illustrative image of hotel ground floor facade on Holborn Viaduct
Indicative hotel ground floor front of house layout
Indicative hotel ground floor front of house layout

Previous Consultation

May 2025

In May 2025, we shared our emerging proposals with the local community and stakeholders to gather their feedback. During this consultation we engaged with a diverse array of stakeholders, including local residents, businesses, immediate neighbours, faith groups, nearby workers and key stakeholders.
You can view the consultation boards shown at our public exhibition in May below.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Who will manage and operate the hotel?

The hotel will be operated by Staycity under its premium Wilde brand. Wilde by Staycity blends the style and service of a boutique hotel with the comforts of an apartment — perfect for guests staying a night, a week, or longer. Staycity currently operates over 6,000 rooms across Europe and has a strong track record in sustainable, well-managed urban hotels.

No — in line with the City of London’s transport and sustainability policies, the hotel will be car-free. There will be no on-site parking for guests or staff. Visitors will be encouraged to use the excellent nearby public transport connections. Secure cycle storage for around 30 bicycles will be provided inside the building for guests and staff.
Morley House is in an exceptionally well-connected location. Farringdon Station (Elizabeth Line, Thameslink, and London Underground) is under a five-minute walk away, with direct links to Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton airports. St Paul’s and Chancery Lane Underground stations are also close by, multiple bus routes serve Holborn Viaduct and Farringdon Street, and taxi and private hire drop-off will be available nearby.
Traffic impacts will be minimal. The majority of hotel guests are expected to arrive by public transport. Deliveries and servicing will use existing arrangements from Shoe Lane, avoiding congestion on Holborn Viaduct.
Servicing and waste collections will be scheduled and consolidated to minimise vehicle movements. All loading and unloading will take place from Shoe Lane using designated bays, in line with the City of London’s servicing guidelines.
The hotel and refurbished City Temple spaces will be fully accessible. Step-free access will be provided to all public areas; lifts will serve all guest floors and accessible bedrooms will be provided on multiple floors. The proposals will meet or exceed relevant building regulations and City of London accessibility standards.
City Temple will be preserved, restored, and returned to active use. Its Grade II listed features, including stained glass, will be retained. The church will reopen for worship, cultural events, and community activities and a new 600-seat conference and meeting facility will support civic and cultural life. The works will secure the building’s long-term future and allow more community groups to use it.
A high-quality, sustainably designed hotel with around 350 rooms. Operating under Wilde by Staycity, it will cater to both short and extended stays, and will feature a gym, guest laundry, co-working spaces, and a deli-style pantry shop. The ground floor will include a publicly accessible café/bar, helping to animate Holborn Viaduct and improve the pedestrian experience.
The new building will create an active street frontage with open views into the hotel lounge, reception, and café/bar areas. Elegant arched openings, canopies, and planting will contribute to a greener, more welcoming streetscape. The proposals also include workspace and flexible meeting/event spaces at City Temple, adding variety and activity at street level.
The project will deliver an all-electric, environmentally responsible building, featuring air-source heat pumps for efficient heating and cooling, urban greening and biodiversity enhancements, including a biodiverse roof, and an energy-efficient design to reduce operational carbon emissions.
If planning permission is granted, the construction programme will be confirmed in line with City of London requirements. A Construction Management Plan will be agreed to minimise noise, dust, and disruption, with regular updates provided to neighbours
The site already has planning permission for a hotel, granted in 2020 and amended in 2022. Our revised proposals improve the design, increase sustainability, and better reflect the surrounding heritage context.

Have your say

We’re here to listen and keen to hear what you think.

Consultation
Event

  • Thursday 15th May
  • 11am-3pm
  • City Temple, Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2DE
View Location

Feedback
Survey

  • We are keen to hear your feedback on the proposals. Complete our survey to have your say!
Complete Survey

Thank you for participating in our public consultations on the proposals for Morley House.

We have now submitted a planning application to the City of London Corporation. The proposals will deliver a high-quality, sustainably designed hotel operated under Staycity’s premium Wilde brand, alongside the restoration of City Temple as a vital community and cultural space.
You can view our plans in full on the City of London Planning Portal. If you’re supportive of the plans, please leave a comment!
(Reference: 25/00964/FULL)
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