The next phase in the grand £3bn redevelopment of Queensway, Bayswater has today been confirmed with planning approval for The William, a major new mixed-use development set to transform the northern end of the central London high street.
Designed by Foster + Partners, The William will deliver six floors of Grade A office space spanning 90,000 sq. ft. alongside 21,000 sq. ft. of shops and 32 new homes, 11 of which will be affordable. Work is due to start on site in 2023, with completion expected in 2026. Planning permission for The William was secured by pan-European real estate investment manager MARK in partnership with Finchatton and General Projects, with significant support from SEBRA, Local Councillors and local residents groups.
The William is named after William Whiteley, the eponymous founder of the famous Whiteleys department store, which sits directly opposite on Queensway and is itself also being transformed by Foster + Partners into The Whiteley. The Whiteley will offer 139 unique, high specification residences, twenty new shops, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, a large-scale gym, and London’s first and flagship Six Senses hotel and spa with 110 rooms, fourteen branded residences and members’ wellness club.
The William will be constructed using cross-laminated timber, a highly sustainable method of construction, making it one of London’s largest timber developments in the works and an office building with exceptional sustainability credentials, as well as Foster + Partners’ first timber office building in the UK. A key part of the £3bn redevelopment of Queensway, London W2, The William is the latest project to be awarded planning, improving and building on the high street’s offering as a shopping, dining, working and travel destination in the capital.
Located at the northern end of Queensway and replacing a poor condition post-war structure, The William delivers a modern design with sustainability and wellness at its core. Built from cross-laminated timber, the project presents an exterior inspired by the natural environment and in-keeping with Queensway’s current regreening programme which will see large-scale planting added throughout the famous London high street.
With wellbeing defining the offer at The William, the building features a series of connected natural light-filled spaces and services that are intended to provide a calm working environment, foster serendipity, and inspire those working there. A dramatic double-height lobby greets guests upon arrival, featuring organic materials, biophilic design and art installations, providing an unparalleled welcome experience.
Bio-diverse terraces and rooftops complete the building providing outside space, unique views across London and down to Hyde Park, and visible greenery from street level. Eleven retail units will be included on the ground floor enlivening the streetscape, which will also be mirrored on the opposite side of the road with the redevelopment of The Whiteley.
Furthering its sustainability credentials, the construction of The William is planned to be BREEAM Outstanding, using natural and responsibly-sourced materials, as well as being operationally net-zero carbon upon completion. The wider Queensway regeneration project, when complete in 2025, will deliver a bold mix of reuse, restoration, new building additions, reduced pollution and regreening.
Not only delivering new building additions, large-scale planting and wider pavements; the plans will also see the restoration of heritage buildings, support for existing businesses, the refurbishment of shop frontages, improved lighting, greening of rooftops, and improvements to both Queensway and Bayswater stations.
When complete, the overall regeneration project will deliver seven new buildings, over 350 new homes, 10,000 sq ft of new office space, 530 metres of refurbished shop fronts and 500 metres of new retail opportunities. Source by MARK and images Courtesy of Camron.
