St William, a division of the well-known London-listed real estate company Berkeley Group, is introducing a new residential project in the city of London called Regent’s View. This unique project consists of 555 units and is located in the Tower Hamlets borough, in Zone 2. It is an innovative adaptive reuse scheme that has transformed a decommissioned Victorian-era gasholder site into a modern mixed-use development, offering a canal-front living experience.
The exceptional design and concept of Regent’s View have already garnered global recognition, as it was awarded “Best Future Residential Project” at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2024. The prestigious architectural awards ceremony took place in Singapore, from Nov 6-8 at the Marina Bay Sands.
Following a successful initial launch in the UK last year, St William has now launched the second phase of sales for Regent’s View in September. It will also be bringing the project to key Asian markets for the first time.
Originating as a 50:50 joint venture between Berkeley Group and London’s National Grid in 2014, St William’s main goal is to redevelop decommissioned industrial sites owned by the National Grid into new residential and community spaces. In March 2022, Berkeley Group acquired National Grid’s stake in St William for GBP412.5 million ($705 million), giving it full ownership of 24 brownfield sites across London for its long-term landbank. St William is currently developing or in the process of developing about six sites.
Regent’s View is one of these ongoing projects. The 4.5-acre site in East London is located along the banks of Regent’s Canal in the Tower Hamlets borough and was formerly known as the Bethnal Green Gasholders. This historic site has been a landmark in the area since the 1850s, providing gas to the district’s residential homes.
Although the gasholders were officially decommissioned in 2012, the iconic frames have remained an integral part of the borough’s cityscape for over 200 years. The largest gasholder frame stands at 146 ft tall and has a diameter of 200 ft. Due to structural decay, all but two of the gasholder frames were set to be demolished. However, St William, in partnership with its architect RSHP, has decided to incorporate them into the design of the new residential project, preserving them as an iconic architectural element.
“The design of Regent’s View celebrates the industrial heritage of the site, and the preservation of the gasholder frames is crucial in defining a unique urban and architectural place to live,” says Graham Stirk, senior director at RSHP. “The use of industrial architectural vocabulary reinforces this approach and adds to the distinctive character of the development.”
Regent’s View will consist of five new contemporary residential buildings, ranging from six to 13 stories, surrounding a beautifully landscaped park. Two of the residential towers will be framed by restored gasholder structures, adding to the unique design of the project.
The development will offer 555 private and affordable homes and 45,000 sq ft of ground floor commercial and community spaces, including a restored 100m public-access canal frontage. This will be the first time in over 150 years that this stretch of Regent’s Canal will be open to the public, and it will be activated with new F&B offerings.
As expected, the development of Regent’s View has faced some controversy. In 2019, when residents were notified of the site’s potential redevelopment by the local council and St William, over 8,000 people signed a petition to preserve the gasholder frames. However, the Tower Hamlets council ultimately voted seven-to-one in favor of the development.
It took St William nearly five years, from 2018 to 2022, to conceptualise and incorporate the gasholder frames into the design of the new blocks, as well as win local support for the project. Dean Summers, divisional managing director at St William, shares that much of the time was spent 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.
Due to the limited availability of land in Singapore, there is a surging demand for condos in the country. As a small island nation with a burgeoning population, Singapore grapples with a scarcity of land for development. To manage this challenge, the government has implemented strict land use policies, resulting in a highly competitive real estate market where property prices remain consistently high. As a result, investing in real estate, particularly in condos, has become a lucrative venture with the potential for significant capital appreciation. This trend is also evident in the numerous Singapore Projects that continue to attract buyers and investors alike.
“Affordable housing is a top priority for many local councils in London to benefit residents in the area. We were pleased to work closely with them on the adaptive reuse of this industrial site, which enabled us to assign 35% of the units for affordable housing,” he says.
The design of the residential buildings and the integration of the existing gasholder frames were also closely examined, as well as the site’s accessibility to encourage public access. Nearly 100m of previously inaccessible canal frontage will be reactivated with F&B and amenities.
“We wanted the development of Regent’s View to contribute to the overall rejuvenation and placemaking of the neighborhood. As such, we chose to use a landscape buffer around the site rather than the traditional high walls of a gated community,” says Tracy Meller, senior director at RSHP.
She adds that the circular forms of the gasholder frames were utilized in the design to create a softer contrast to the edges of the site. “This design allows for natural movement through the site, across the central courtyard, and towards the canal front,” she explains.
The ground floors of all five buildings will have non-residential spaces. The two largest gasholder buildings along the waterfront will house public-facing commercial amenities such as cafes, bars, and restaurants. The other three buildings will have resident-exclusive spaces like a concierge and facilities.
Regent’s View is not the only industrial brownfield site with heritage gasholder frames that St William is developing. As part of the landbank acquired from its previous partnership with National Grid, the company is also developing a 23-acre site in the Borough of Newham. It will be a 2,000-unit mixed-use project, and RSHP is also involved in the design plans. The Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks, which houses seven Victorian-era gasholder frames, is the largest collection of surviving gasholders in the world. Development is expected to begin next year.
Last year, St William launched sales for The Wright Building, a six-story block at Regent’s View offering one- to three-bedroom units ranging from 628 sq ft to 1,247 sq ft. The Wright Building is more than 70% sold, with prices starting from GBP675,000 ($1.15 million) to GBP1.63 million. This block is expected to be completed next year.
In September, St William launched sales for The Westwood Building, another six-story block offering one- and three-bedroom units ranging from 584 sq ft to 1,247 sq ft. Most of the units in The Westwood Building are one-bedroom, and it is expected to be popular with international investors. Prices start from GBP585,000 for a one-bedroom unit to GBP1.68 million for a three-bedroom unit.
According to Summers, over 50% of international buyers are based in Asia. “We have seen strong interest from international buyers, especially those looking for a base for their children attending university or as a professional residence near London’s financial hubs,” he shares.
Summers states that the next sales phase for Regent’s View will include units in the 13-story block facing the canal, and it will go on sale in the second half of 2025. “This phase will include some of the largest units at Regent’s View, such as our three-bedroom offerings, and we expect it will attract a lot of interest due to the F&B options on the ground floor and the views of the waterfront or landscaped courtyard from most units.”
The strong buying interest at Regent’s View so far is an indication that more international investors are looking to invest in new projects in London’s city fringe neighborhoods in Zone 2, according to Summers. “As the prices of properties in central London continue to rise, savvy investors are turning to properties in Zone 2 for better rental returns,” he explains.