Redeveloping a historic part of Chelsea into high-end residential apartments

The 19th century Victorian building was part of King’s College, before being renovated in a design and construct contract by Multiplex. The historic building in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea now offers eight-star living space with apartments varying in size from 600 sq m to 1000 sq m.

Highly meticulous features are beautifully considered in this development, even within the commonplace areas such as the car park which boasts number plate recognition among its security features and air purifiers strategically placed throughout the building.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the apartments collectively is their placement over only one floor – a lateral space, a rare thing in the London property market.

The building has a centralised plant room and all apartments have access to an enclosed communal garden, along with their own private garden.

Multiplex undertook the demolition of a redundant hospital previously located on the site. Although the facade was retained, plans were made for a strikingly modern rear elevation, presenting Multiplex with the challenge of integrating both styles.

The existing retained facade required extensive temporary works to support the structure prior to incorporation into the main building; it was then refurbished to maintain the character of the buildings in the neighbourhood.

Originally the building was to be constructed from a reinforced concrete frame; Multiplex applied a valuable design improvement by instead using a steel-framed construction facilitating the omission of internal columns.

Multiplex confined the structure to the party walls, allowing the architects and interior designers greater freedom.

The two main reception and back-of-house areas were fitted-out as part of the shell and core contract, requiring a high standard of internal joinery and general works to be achieved.

The rear garden area was designed by a specialist landscape architect and built on the slab of the new car park. This required extensive design for drainage and maintenance.

Multiplex’s 21 Manresa Road exemplifies how the traditional features of a 19th century building can be sympathetically blended with modern design, while delivering the lure of luxury living in a prime location.

The apartments garnered record sale prices in London.