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Clere Street, London EC2
Introduction
Accommodation
History
Download floorplan (pdf)
This is perhaps the most significant architect-designed apartment to be built in London in recent years. Offered to the market for the first time since its completion, it was designed by the firm Tonkin Liu in collaboration with Richard Rogers. Rogers is best-known for pioneering public projects such as the Pompidou Centre, the Lloyd's Building and the Millennium Dome. This represents a unique opportunity to purchase a one-off private home by one of the world's foremost living architects.
The penthouse apartment offers an inspired solution to the lack of space for modern urban development. It has been built on top of an existing warehouse building, and maximises its lofty position with huge glazed south and west elevations that offer spectacular views of the City. Structurally, the apartment hangs from a central beam, with further steel girders that carry the weight to the perimeter walls of the warehouse building. The effect is one of visual weightlessness.
It proved impossible to build an elevator inside the warehouse, so the apartment is entered via a neighbouring building, which is accessed on Clere Street. A lift takes the visitor to the top of the adjacent building, from where a mesh bridge leads across to the front door of the apartment.
Internally, accommodation is arranged over two storeys. On the fifth floor can be found 5 bedrooms, all with access to a terrace, an open cinema area, a bathroom, a shower room and a utility room. On the sixth floor is a spectacular double-volume kitchen and reception room, as well as an open-plan sleeping area, a study and a bathroom. The sleeping area can be sectioned off using a sliding door that has been carpeted for soundproofing. The reception room opens onto a small balcony, from where a mesh spiral staircase leads up to the expansive roof terrace, which commands panoramic views. Part of the terrace is devoted to solar panels and a sedum roof.
To avoid over-heating, the architects have incorporated double-glazed windows and automatic exterior blinds. Ventilation is controlled passively with grilles in the floor and automated flaps in the façade. In addition, part of the building is shaded with a mesh structure that casts shadows into the interior and acts as a climbing frame for wisteria and jasmine. In time, it is anticipated that much of the apartment will become overgrown with fragrant climbers, providing shade as well as a unique and private rooftop environment.
For more information about the apartment's architectural background and press coverage, see the History section.
Clere Street is located within striking distance of the City. The nearest Underground station is Old Street (Northern Line). Liverpool Street station is also within walking distance. Local attractions include Spitalfields Market, the Barbican Arts Centre, Columbia Road Flower Market, and the restaurants and bars of Shoreditch.
To see this property on a map, click here.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease: 125 years from 1996
Service charge: £1,200 approx per annum
Ground rent: £150 per annum
Managing Agents: Urban Edge
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