A challenge accepted. An icon reimagined, repurposed and revived.
No longer a half-empty office block trapped at the centre of a traffic-choked junction, Centre Point is now a new destination for London, boasting over 400,000 sq ft of residential, retail, commercial and affordable housing space arrayed around a pedestrianised public square.
centrepointresidences.co.ukAs a place to work, Centre Point had become unfit for purpose. Reinventing it as a place to live, we have made it an object of desire for decades to come. Acquiring the building in 2011, we worked with Conran & Partners to transform it into 82 extraordinary homes and enhanced the living experience of residents by devoting the first two floors to private amenities including a Lounge, Dining Room, Cinema Room, Treatment Rooms, Sauna, Gym and a breathtaking 30m infinity pool overlooking Charing Cross Road and Oxford Street.
When you're in the apartments you have the most incredible, uninterrupted views of London, whether that be east and south towards the river and the City, or west watching the sun set over Hyde Park and Mayfair.James Hislop, Sales Director
Centre Point is more than a building, it is a complex of three – Centre Point Tower, Centre Point House and White Lion House – as well as the glass link bridge that connects them. We worked with MICA to breathe life into all three elements by adding a fourth: a new pedestrianised public square. Where buses once crawled along a one-way system, people now gather to enjoy the new restaurants, bars and shops that open out onto this space. Where pedestrians once feared to tread, they now move with ease between Covent Garden, Soho, Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury. We have stitched the building back into London life.
To weave a focus on art and design into what would be a delicate refurbishment project, we selected a development team with a cultivated sense of visual style and a keen eye for detail. And to deliver our vision of Centre Point as a dynamic new destination, we pulled together an asset management and marketing team with rich experience of working on other placemaking schemes with a strong public realm focus.
Property is people: those who build it, those who inhabit it, and those who pass by it. It’s important to consider them all to achieve something great.Mike Hussey, Chief Executive
We had two criteria when selecting external partners to complement our team: a shared affinity for Centre Point, and expertise to match the challenge. For the masterplan, MICA, who brought local expertise and a track record for solving complex urban puzzles. To redefine city living, Conran + Partners, pioneering architects and interior designers, as synonymous with London and the 1960s as Centre Point itself.
Working with a building is about caring enough to do proper detective work. Amassing a body of knowledge is what gives you a feel for making the right decisions.Gavin Miller, Director – Mica
What mattered to Almacantar was our attitude not our ideas. I think we got Centre Point the same way they did.Tim Bowder-Ridger, Principal – Conran and Partners