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A new residential development in London is currently making waves in the real estate market. Regent’s View, located in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, is a unique project developed by St William, a division of the London-listed real estate corporation, Berkeley Group.
This project is an adaptive reuse scheme, transforming a decommissioned Victorian-era gasholder site into a modern and vibrant mixed-use development. The project, consisting of 555 units, is situated in Zone 2 and has already received global recognition, winning the award for “Best Future Residential Project” at the prestigious World Architecture Festival in 2024.
St William originated as a joint venture between Berkeley Group and London’s National Grid in 2014, with a vision to redevelop industrial sites owned by the National Grid into new residential and community spaces. In 2022, Berkeley Group acquired National Grid’s stake in St. William for a sum of GBP412.5 million ($705 million), giving it full ownership of 24 brownfield sites across London for its long-term landbank. Currently, St William is in the process of developing six of these sites, including Regent’s View.
The 4.5-acre East London site is located along the beautiful Regent’s Canal and was formerly known as the Bethnal Green Gasholders, a landmark in the area since the 1850s. While the gasholders were officially decommissioned in 2012, their iconic frames have been a part of the borough’s cityscape for over 200 years. With the majority of the gasholder frames in a state of structural decay, plans were made to demolish all but two of them. However, St William and their architect partner, RSHP, decided to incorporate these historic frames into the design of the new project, making them an integral architectural element.
Graham Stirk, senior director at RSHP, explains, “Our design of Regent’s View celebrates the historical industrial heritage of the site. By preserving the gasholder frames, we are creating a unique urban and architectural space that defies the norm. The use of an industrial architectural vocabulary further reinforces this approach.”
The new development will consist of five contemporary residential buildings, ranging from six to 13 stories, surrounding a landscaped park. Two of the towers will be framed by restored gasholder structures. Regent’s View will offer 555 private and affordable homes, along with 45,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial and community spaces. This project will also restore public access to a 100m stretch of Regent’s Canal, adding to the area’s vibrancy with new F&B offerings.
The development of Regent’s View was not without controversy. In 2019, when local residents were informed of the plans to redevelop the site, more than 8,000 people signed a petition calling for its preservation. However, the Tower Hamlets council voted in favor of the project, and St William spent nearly five years engaging with the local community to find ways to preserve the gasholder frames, meet their affordable housing targets, and rejuvenate the canal front through placemaking activities.
Dean Summers, divisional managing director at St. William, says, “Affordable housing is a key priority for many local councils across London’s boroughs, and we were happy to work closely with them on the adaptive reuse of this industrial site. This strong relationship enabled us to allocate 35% of the units for affordable housing.”
The design of the residential blocks and the incorporation of the gasholder frames were also closely scrutinized, with a focus on ensuring the site’s permeability to encourage public access. Almost 100m of previously inaccessible canal frontage will be restored with new F&B and amenities.
Tracy Meller, senior director at RSHP, explains that the architects took advantage of the circular forms of the gasholder frames to create a gentler contrast to the edges of the site. This design enables natural permeation through the site, across the central landscaped courtyard, and towards the canal front.
The ground floors of the five buildings will house non-residential spaces. The two largest gasholder buildings along the waterfront will feature the most public-facing commercial amenities, such as cafes, bars, and restaurants. The remaining three buildings will have resident-exclusive spaces, like the concierge and facilities.
Regent’s View is not the only industrial brownfield site featuring heritage gasholder frames that St William is developing. Another project, a 23-acre plot in the borough of Newham formerly known as the Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks, will be transformed into a mixed-use development consisting of 2,000 units. RSHP is also involved in the design plans for this site, which will feature seven Victorian-era gasholder frames, making it the largest collection of surviving gasholders in the world. Development of the Bromley-By-Bow gasworks site is scheduled to begin in the next year.
Last year, St. William launched the sale of The Wright Building, a six-story block at Regent’s View that is now more than 70% sold. The block, which is expected to be completed next year, features a mix of one- to three-bedroom units ranging from 628 sq ft to 1,247 sq ft, with prices starting at GBP675,000 ($1.15 million) to GBP1.63 million. In September, St. William launched the sale of The Westwood Building, another six-story block, of which almost 90% of the units are one-bedrooms, making it an appealing option for international investors.
Dean Summers, explains, “We’ve seen strong interest from international buyers, particularly those looking for a base for their children attending university or as a professional residence close to London’s financial hubs.” The proximity of Regent’s View to prominent educational institutions, such as University College London, King’s College London, and Queen Mary University of London, has also drawn much attention from international buyers.
Summers adds, “Our next sales phase will include units in a 13-story block along the canal, and we expect exceptional demand, with a majority of the units offering either waterfront or courtyard views. The third sales phase will feature larger units, like three-bedroom apartments, and we anticipate strong interest due to the ground floor F&B offerings and the unique location of the project.” St William reports that over 50% of international buyers are from Asia, with investors from this region becoming increasingly interested in projects situated in London’s city fringe neighborhoods in Zone 2.
“More buyers are turning to properties in Zone 2 for better rental premiums, especially with the rising prices of central London properties,” says Dean Summers. As for Regent’s View, the closest train station is Cambridge Heath on the London Overground Line, which offers a direct route to Liverpool Street Station. Alternatively, Cambridge Heath is one stop away from Bethnal Green Interchange on the Central Line, extending connectivity to locations such as Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus, and Bond Street.
With its prime location, unique design, and blend of historic and modern elements, Regent’s View is a highly sought-after project that has captured the interest of many international buyers. With the third sales phase expected to be launched in the near future, the popularity and success of this development are likely to continue.