Hornsey Road Apartments, Former public baths Building Project, Flats, Islington Property Images

Hornsey Road Apartments London

Residential Development in north London: Islington, Property Information – design by PTEa

14 Jul 2009

Hornsey Road Baths Redevelopment

Date built: 2009

Design: Pollard Thomas Edwards architects (PTEa) ; Interior Architect: Darling Associates

Hornsey Road Apartments

Although London has a vast and fascinating array of buildings that help remind people of the history of the capital, many are redundant and unappreciated. However, as the need for housing in London continues to grow, more and more historic buildings are being brought back into use as modern homes. One such building is the Victorian gatehouse of the former public baths in Islington, which has been refurbished by Grainger plc to provide four unique homes.

Built in 1895, for nearly 100 years this gatehouse served as the entranceway to the Hornsey Road Baths, a public amenity built in response to a government Act passed in 1846 ‘to encourage the establishment of baths and wash-houses’. The complex included four swimming pools, 125 slipper baths, a public washhouse and a laundry building. Used and loved by the local residents for nearly a century, the baths were closed in 1991 and the site remained out of the public domain until very recently, when Grainger plc launched its exciting new scheme – Hornsey Road Apartments.

This new scheme comprises 150 private homes available to rent and to buy, four of which are found in the Grade II listed gatehouse, a clock tower, two landscaped squares, 40,000 sq ft of office space, 35 underground parking spaces, a nursery and dedicated community space in the refurbished laundry building. At the centre of the development stands the original boiler house chimney, 24-metres high, retained and illuminated by Grainger and encased in a magnificent five-storey glass atrium.

Richard Shaw, development director at Grainger plc comments: “There is a definite need for quality housing in London and we are seeing more and more unique and historic properties being brought back into use to help cope with this demand. This area of London is especially popular with young professionals, so we have ensured that the development features modern and realistically priced apartments suitable for this market.”

With large bay windows at the front of the building, original fireplaces in the bedrooms and living areas, irregular room shapes and examples of the original tiling still intact, the refurbished gatehouse provides some of the area’s most unique homes. Complementing the traditional features, each of the three two bedroom apartments and the one bedroom apartment benefit from a modern and highly specified interior including underfloor heating in the bathroom, integrated Smeg appliances and composite stone worktops in the kitchen.

Richard continues, “Grainger are delighted to be involved with the Hornsey Road Baths site and have enjoyed working with the historic buildings. As well as the buildings themselves, we also spent time refurbishing other original features such as the clock, the neon ‘diving lady’ sign and the chimney in order to help preserve the historic integrity of the site.”

In contrast to the Victorian gatehouse and laundry building, the development also features six new build blocks incorporating a selection of well proportioned and high specified one, two and three bedroom apartments. The bedrooms in the apartments are light, spacious and comfortable with 100% wool carpets and full height built-in wardrobes in the master bedroom while kitchens are stylish and functional, featuring Smeg appliances and reconstituted stone worktops. Each apartment also benefits from contemporary bathroom suites, oak hardwood flooring and energy saving recessed lighting and the majority of homes have the added benefit of an outside terrace or balcony.

As the UK’s largest residential landlord, Grainger plc has adopted a dual approach to the development, meaning that properties are available for sale and to rent. The developer is selling approximately two thirds of the apartments while retaining one third of them to let out through its direct lettings arm, graingerlets. Through this strategy, residents will benefit from the developer’s long-term involvement in the scheme, while Grainger will enjoy the addition of 58 highly desirable properties to its existing portfolio of approximately 14,000 properties.

Hornsey Road Apartments are situated in the north of the London Borough of Islington, an area renowned for its nightlife, thriving shopping districts and proximity to central London and the City. With a wide range of amenities and superb transport links via the Victoria and Piccadilly lines, as well as bus and overland train routes, the area is favoured by young professionals, students, and families alike.

Properties are available to buy from £200,000 per week. For more information, please contact the sales office on 0845 2626100

Hornsey Road Apartments – Building Information

Client: Grainger Plc
Exterior Architect: PTEa
Interior Architect: Darling Associates
Project Manager : APS
Contractor: Ardmore

Status: Completed in May 2009

Address: Hornsey Road Apartments, Tiltman Place, Islington, London, N7 7EL

Pollard Thomas Edwards architects

Location: Hornsey Road, Islington, London, N7

London, England, UK

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photograph © Nick Weall
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