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Chelsea Barracks £3bn redevelopment | Westminster | U/C

394K views 2K replies 196 participants last post by  UltraZ 
#1 ·
From yesterday's Standard;

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...s/Revealed:+£1bn+barons+of+Chelsea/article.do



Revealed: £1bn barons of Chelsea

Benedict Moore-Bridger and Jonathan Prynn
31.01.08 Britain's most expensive home property deal was struck today when Chelsea Barracks was bought by the Qatari government and the Candy brothers for £959 million.

Located between Sloane Square and the Thames, the 12.8-acre site is the most valuable residential plot to be redeveloped, at £75 million an acre.

It dwarfs the £150 million paid for the brothers' other flagship development, One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge in 2004.
 
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#4 ·
Well I recently declared on another thread that while I think Prince Charles is wrong in some ways about tall buildings and is picking the wrong fight in the City, I do think we don't build enough classical architecture. So here goes...

My personal opinion is that site in Chelsea this would be best served by a traditional-looking residential development - grand terraces of luxury flats, with a couple of garden squares in there somewhere - could base it on some of the best 19th stuff, of which there's no shortage in SW1 - could even get as grand in parts as Eaton Sq. This can be done with modern amenities (lifts, underground parking, gym and pool, whatever), and a mix of modern (concrete/steel frames) and traditional (stucco or stone-faced facades) building techniques. Hope they wouldn't go for the evil security measures they've gone for with 1 Hyde Park, though, but that's another argument.

Unlikely to happen, I imagine, but it would be commercially smart (it's a pretty high-density model, and the market clearly places a premium on that kind of architecture) and it may also be their best chance of getting planning approval quickly.

OK you can shoot me down now.
 
#5 ·
£959m charge on Chelsea Barracks

01.02.08

Christian Candy and Qatari Diar buy MoD site in record land deal

By David Doyle

The Qatar Investment Authority and Christian Candy completed the £959m purchase of the Chelsea Barracks from the Ministry of Defence in the most expensive land purchase in UK history.

Project Blue, the joint venture between Qatari Diar and Christian Candy’s development company, CPC, is to pay £959m, equivalent to £75m/acre, to the MoD over the next five years. The joint venture will pay five instalments of £191.8m until 31 January 2011.

The final instalment will be funded by deposits from the sale of the luxury flats.

Project Blue paid the first instalment on 5 April 2007, when contracts were exchanged. The second instalment was paid yesterday.

It must now pay the remaining sums on 2 February 2009 and 1 February 2010 before the final payment in 2011.

Although the contracts exchanged 10 months ago, the joint venture has had to wait for the military units based at the barracks the historic headquarters for the Coldstream Guards to be moved.

Westminster City Council regards the 12.8 acre site as one of the last key redevelopment opportunities in London and has issued an extensive planning brief for the barracks.
Click here to find out more!

Nick Candy said: ‘This is going to have a massive impact on the City’s economy and London’s rental values.

‘The joint venture has a huge responsibility to deliver something outstanding.’

Westminster council wants half of the housing to be affordable and the development to achieve the BREEAM ‘excellent’ standard.

The development, close to the Thames and south of Buckingham Palace, will have woodland, a 54,000 sq ft sports complex, and a low carbon footprint.

The MoD sold the barracks, which comprises armouries, offices and residential quarters for 1,284 people, as a part of its MoDEL strategy to create ‘a defence estate of the right size and quality’.

Guernsey-based CPC and Qatari Diar are developing the site.

Candy & Candy has been appointed as development manager and interior designer.

The joint venture hopes to have planning granted by early 2009 and the development completed within five years.
 
#15 ·
Looks like the barracks character is being retained in this redevelopment!

On the north side of Vauxhall Bridge is an example of a new development styled as a mid 19thC Pimlico terrace. If this is the design approach to follow, we could look to Nash's terraces for inspiration.
 
#13 ·
Thats a massive site for such a sought after location.

Personally, i hope they keep the new developments low rise. I wouldnt want any pastichey designs though, modern, high quality materials and interesting design is what i want, so i think Rogers is the best man for it (as opposed to Foster...as only those two architects exist you know :|), he can be relied upon for stuff that looks great, without yelling for attention.

I actually quite like 1 Hyde Park, in terms of the way it looks and fits in with its surroundings, whilst still looking distinctly modern.
 
#19 ·
The current buildings are already looking a bit shabby and neglected without regular maintenance.

On the corner of Pimlico Rd;



The main barracks block along Chelsea Bridge Rd;



These residential towers are along Ebury Bridge Rd - the red brick must have looked quite smart at one time;





But now they're looking their age;



There is one nice surprise on the site. This old victorian chapel is still standing and will hopefully be included in the new scheme.

 
#23 ·
While we wait for some images of this develoment I thought people might be interested to see some photo's of Grosvenor Wharf just the other side of Ebury Bridge Road to the south of this site. I think I read they were hoping to link the two developments some how.









Not bad, good use of brick and the river front block is nicely proportioned, it sits well in it's surroundings when viewed coming over Chelsea Bridge.
 
#26 ·
I think this is the Make building that U/C but I'm not sure. If my memory serves well, the Make building and kind of small tower were left to build.

How is it to walk around this area and in this particular dev? Considering that the flats were extremely expensive (something like £500,000 for studios...) I was expecting something better than this...
 
#27 ·
The buildings are topped out & well on the way to be finished. No sign of cladding yet though.

Candy & Candy bought out the rest of the development & aiming to join the two sites so the Chelsea barracks lead to the the water front (I think they might also be wanting to use most of the site for quite a bit of the affordable housing element of Chelsea barracks.

Interesting to note the brick in is fake, they are panels of cladding that were lifted & bolted into place.
 
#30 ·
Well they don't hang about do they? Bore holes were being dug around the site today, presumably to test ground conditions.



Meanwhile across the road MAKEs Grosvenor Wharf building is nearing completion;



Another render from the hoardings. It looks like two buildings are going up. Are they both by MAKE?



 
#34 ·
Chelsea Barracks plans lodged
07:52 | 07.04.08

Plans for what is billed to be the UK’s most expensive residential development at the former Chelsea Barracks site in London have been lodged with Westminster city council. Financial Times

The joint venture that owns the site, between the Qatari government and Christian and Nick Candy, the property entrepreneurs, is planning to build the UK’s most luxurious residential scheme. It will comprise 319 private flats as well as a potentially seven-star boutique hotel, with two restaurants and a world-class spa.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=3110563&c=1
 
#35 ·
http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3110663&c=1




Chelsea Barracks plans revealed
14:58 | 08.04.08

Project Blue, the joint venture between Christian Candy’s CPC Group and Qatari Diar, has submitted the planning application for the redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks.

By David Doyle

A total 638 apartments will be developed at the site, half of which will be affordable, as well as a boutique hotel, retail units, a community hall and a community sports facility featuring a 25m swimming pool.

The private apartments will feature designs from Rogers, Stirk, Harbour + Partners and, with Candy & Candy as interior designers, will be among the most expensive apartments in the capital.

The site was bought from the MoD in February for £959m.
 
#36 ·
big development though it is and with a fine architectural practice, its difficult to get hugely excited about this. It has to be low rise in its location, but I can't help feeling it will simply become a bit of an anodyne multimillionaire's village. I think the waterside location of Grosvenor Riverside, or even the rather tacky Imperial Wharf gives more status and atmosphere. IMO thats why Lots Road is going to be so important and popular (although in a rather less salubrious location). Thanks for the news though.
 
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