travelingtish

I've stayed at the Strand Palace Hotel in London twice and can never get enough of London. I recently went on Google Earth, street view and traveled along the Strand toward "my" hotel taking an imaginary stroll through London Town. Everything looked normal when I was a couple of buildings away from passing in front of the hotel. Then the view suddenly changed (obviously they stopped there on their first go-round and then came back later and took up where they left off). The date was 5/12, 2 months before the London Olympics. Suddenly the hotel, the building right before it, and the one directly across the street (beside the Savoy Hotel) were all wrapped in plastic from top to bottom. Having just been there in September of 2011, I was really startled to see that. It seemed to be wrapped tightly in the plastic so I couldn't figure out what they could be doing it for. It didn't seem like there was space between the plastic and the buildings for any work to be going on, although obviously there had to be a good reason for it. I'm assuming it was some kind of cosmetic face-lift pre-Olympics. If I remember correctly there was another building closer to Trafalgar Square (but on the opposite side of the street--around Charing Cross) that was wrapped too, when I turned around and started back the other way. Although I may be "mis-remembering" that. Does anyone have any information about this?

PalenQ

marking for later digestion!

Sassafrass

I've been searching through Christo exhibits to see if he did any wrapped buildings in London during that time. Didn't find any, but it might be that or something similar.

flanneruk

According to the hotel's website, it's STILL refurbing the exterior (http://www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk/s...s/restoration/), though I can't say I've noticed.

There's nothing odd about the street view pics, which are clearly of protection to normal exterior work - and there's bags of room for workers, and their equipment, to fit between the buildings and the plastic protective sheets.

London buildings' exteriors are constantly being repaired: the hotel's programme is more than cleaning, with all sorts of extra roof protection and the inevitable minor masonry.

No-one bothered, as far as I'm aware, doing "cosmetic face-lifts" before the Olympics anywhere in London: though masses of taxpayer money was squandered on this pointless junket, the overwhelming majority of businesses had the sense to realise the games would reduce tourism in London and tourism-dependent businesses certainly weren't going to throw their own money away on looking good as they sailed closer to bankruptcy.

latedaytraveler

Hi Travelingtish,

I stayed at the STAND PALACE a month ago - great location, I agree. The facade is still all "wrapped up" and under renovation.

PalenQ

Like they often say in Italy - the scaffolding has been on X church so long it is now considered to be a part of the facade.

travelingtish

Thanks for the input. It seemed so odd because there were several seemingly unrelated buildings done up the same way, although the other one on the same side of the street had cutouts in the plastic in front of each window. I can't remember seeing any buildings wrapped like that when I was over there. And what was really strange was that Google street view apparently stopped there and came back after the buildings were wrapped. I thought I was seeing things.
Yes, it is a great location. Especially for a female traveling alone, as I was both times. Close enough to theaters that I could walk home at night. Lots of restaurants close by, Covent Garden.

AshlynPowers

May be to protect it for renovation purpose.
http://www.alamanda-polymers.com/con...sked-questions