The transformation of The Whiteley, a historic early 20th-century landmark located in Bayswater, London, is complete.
Developed by Valouran and joint investor, MARK and C C Land, the mixed-use scheme enhances the existing neighbourhood by bringing together a diverse range of uses – including retail, restaurants, leisure, hotel and residences – breathing new life into this iconic London locale.
Patrick Campbell, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “This large-scale yet intricate regeneration project sensitively transforms a much-loved central London landmark. It brings together a number of different uses that activate the public realm, both on Queensway and also within a new planted public courtyard.
“Working closely with our client, Westminster City Council, and the local resident associations our interventions sympathetically conserve the historic while introducing a new architecture of craft and proportion – creating a cohesive sense of place that reflects and enhances this rejuvenated neighbourhood.”
Justin Black, Head of UK Development, C C Land, said: “Celebrating the practical completion of The Whiteley this year marked a defining milestone and is a testament to the skill, dedication and collaboration of the entire project team. It has been a privilege to work alongside Foster + Partners over the past nine years. Their thoughtful architectural vision has sensitively restored The Whiteley’s historic character while creating an exceptional new destination for London, welcoming residents, hotel guests and visitors alike. When projects of this nature are delivered well, they become more than developments – they become part of a city's fabric, and in decades to come, people will struggle to imagine the city without them.”
The Grade II listed building opened in 1911 as one of London’s first retail department stores. Originally designed by John Belcher and John James Joass, the building underwent several iterative repairs and changes throughout the 20th century which disrupted the clarity of the original building’s design. The practice’s restoration has re-established the building’s architectural logic and character.
The façade has been sympathetically restored to its former splendour – featuring infills on the upper floors that match its original and a re-modelled cupola on the building’s northern edge, which has realised an unfulfilled element of the building’s initial design. It also introduces a newly integrated retail arcade along the Queensway Parade.
Several other key elements of the historic building have been restored by the practice, including its clocktower and glass dome, as well as the preservation and relocation of its original entrance screen, statues, and heritage staircase. This scheme creates a balanced, harmonious composition that celebrates the building’s history and architectural significance, while responding to the current and future needs of residents and visitors alike.
The scheme incorporates 139 unique residential apartments on its upper floors. The interior design takes inspiration from the original heritage building’s grain, texture, and rhythm. The generously proportioned lateral apartments, with tall ceiling heights, create a distinct sense of light and space. Attention to detail and a palette of complementary natural materials provide a feeling of timelessness – and sun-filled landscaped terraces offer views out over London.
The retrofit project also enhances the wider historic fabric by embedding a diverse mixture of uses, significantly contributing to the public realm. This actively animates the public spaces through a variety of leisure, retail, and hospitality experiences, with active frontages that face out to the street. This public realm activation is supported by a new courtyard, which draws both natural light and people into the development – and underpins The Whiteley as the heart of the wider Bayswater neighbourhood.
The project has been designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’, demonstrating its exemplary standards of sustainable and inclusive urban design and architecture.
