Located between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square in the heart of Chelsea, the Cadogan Hotel is one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in all of London. Built by the Earl Cadogan in 1887, the hotel was once popular among Victorian aristocrats, politicians, artists and poets. The famous 19th-century actress Lillie Langtry lived at the Cadogan for five years, and Oscar Wilde was infamously arrested there in 1895. Today, the hotel stands as a symbol of opulence and grandeur.

Renovation of Historic Landmark

MSA aided in the renovation of this historic landmark. Through the use of smoke modeling, we developed a fire strategy that met the unique challenges posed by the design of the Cadogan Hotel. This design included two stairs which provided access to all floors and opened into a reception area on the ground floor.

Modern Fire Safety Upgrade

Most buildings have vents at the top of their stairs and doors at the bottom. This allows air to flow in and forces smoke out through the roof. However, MSA’s analysis showed that this approach wouldn’t work with the Cadogan. Because of this, we developed an innovative solution that would let air flow in through the top of the stairs and push smoke through doors on the ground floor. In this way, we were able to bring the Cadogan up to modern fire safety standards without overly compromising its original design.