The Savoy is London’s landmark hotel located on the Thames Embankment between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster. It was closed in December 2007 and an auction was held  -  broadcasted worldwide on TV  -  to sell many pieces of the hotel’s original furniture and art. This marked the starting point for the complete refurbishment of the hotel which will soon come to an end.
A major part of the refurbishment was the work on the south façade. This Grade II listed façade is hung back from cantilevered existing lattice trusses which are supported by a 1000 mm thick brick wall. To open up the rooms to the river front, this wall was replaced by a six-storey moment frame. In order to achieve this, the existing lattice trusses had to be underpinned and therefore temporary steel towers had to be installed first.
These works are described in this paper. Other structural works, such as the installation of a large ornate glass dome, necessary due to alterations to existing steel trusses, will be published in Part II.