In Pictures: Almacantar completes epic Centre Point transformation

Over 50 years after its brutalist form altered the London skyline forever, Centre Point’s modern-day rebirth as a luxury resi address is finally complete.

Almacantar has put the finishing touches to the three-year project – the developer’s most ambitious to date – and describes the end product as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in a national treasure”.

Mike Hussey’s firm acquired the Grade II listed, Richard Seifert-designed landmark in 2011, and has been working with lead architect Conran & Partners to reinvent the interior of the 117-metre concrete structure as 82 apartments, with a new “destination” square surrounded by shops and restaurants at its feet, giving direct access to a shiny new Crossrail hub.

As revealed by PrimeResi, the “world class” penthouse, which sprawls across 7,223 square feet and has views for days, launched off-plan in 2016 at a cool £55m, making it one of the most expensive apartments in the capital.

Terrace at the £55m Centre Point penthouse

Clever collaborations have brought brands including Anglepoise, Gilbert and Eley Kishimoto into the mix, the latter of which designed a striking monochrome wrap for the building during the construction process, while the pedestrianised St Giles Square, set to open in November, will feature the famous Centre Point letters, reimagined one by one by renowned artists, including Gavin Turk, Conrad Shawcross, Mark Wallinger and Laure Prouvost (all of which will be then auctioned off in aid of the charity Centrepoint).

The late property tycoon Harry Hyam’s, who commissioned and masterminded the original scheme in the 1960s, once described his controversial creation as “the best-known office building in the world”; its height and position in the heart of the West End certainly made it one of the most adventurous, but just as the exterior has long since transcended into design classic status, the overall tone of this brutalist icon is already being shifted by people calling it home.

Commissioned by the late property tycoon Harry Hyams, the 117-metre Seifert-designed landmark tower was awarded a Grade II listing in 1995

Kathrin Hersel, Property Director at Almacantar: “The word ‘unique’ is probably the most overused in the property industry; however, with Centre Point, we can say it with confidence. Be it the original brutalist architecture, the unparalleled views, the attention to detail, or the proximity to the very best London has to offer; living in Centre Point is unlike anything else in London.

“The building has undergone an unprecedented transformation, becoming what we believe is the most desirable residential address in London. It is the tallest – and only – luxury residential building of its kind in the area and firmly marks the change in the West End’s development, which is fast becoming London’s new tech hotspot. As part of the area’s transformation, we have also developed a pedestrianised square at the bottom of the building, set to open in autumn 2018 – a new destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Centre Point is certainly our most ambitious project to date.”

Tim Bowder-Ridger, Managing Director, Conran & Partners: “Centre Point stands, both literally and figuratively, at the cultural heart of London. It is one of the city’s great landmarks, and we are thrilled to be bringing it into the 21st century.”