Brace yourselves. We are about to explore a West London tower block that Londoners either love or hate: the Belvedere Tower.
The Belvedere Tower is a residential block in Chelsea Harbour. Its roof is reminiscent of a pagoda. Some Londoners appreciate its East Asian architectural style. They wish there were more buildings like it in London. Others find it horrible and ugly. They think it looks unfinished.
But the Belvedere isn’t just a polarizing tower block. Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams once called it home. Both singers owned the same two-bedroom flat in the block at different times. In 2016, it was up for sale for over 4.2 million pounds. That would be more than 5 million pounds today. The flat is on the 15th floor. It has two terraces. There is a master bedroom with an ensuite. The dressing room could be a third bedroom.
The Belvedere is the focal point of Chelsea Harbour. It’s a mixed-use development. Chelsea Harbour is situated in Sands End. It sits along Chelsea Creek. The development consists of luxury apartments. There is also the Chelsea Harbour Marina. You will also find the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre and a hotel.
The Belvedere is a 200-foot tower. It acts as a sentinel for this modern-day riverside village. It features a metallic pagoda-like roof. It also features rows of metal balconies. The tower’s cladding is bronze-colored. The balconies are dark blue.
This site was once the 28-acre estate of Sandford Manor House. Part of the land was a Victorian-era railway coaling dock. Later, it was a coal yard for British Rail. The 20-acre site is bounded by the Thames and Counter’s Creek. It’s also next to the West London Line.
Chelsea Harbour was designed by Moxley Jenner & Partners. It was developed by Mansford. Bovis Homes Group served as project management consultants. It was the biggest construction project in the United Kingdom for decades. The original design was for 16 buildings. Only 12 were completed due to an economic downturn.
When planning permission was granted in 1986, the whole site was derelict. Both the Coal Dock and the lock had been filled with contaminated materials. These had to be excavated and disposed of. The design required reducing the dock size by one-third. This formed the 75-berth Marina. The lock chamber, lock-gates, and cill were reconstructed.
Within twelve months, the contractor had excavated the dock. They constructed a new north wall. They re-puddled the dock floor. They also renovated the lock. The site was equipped with 14 tower cranes. There were approximately 1500 personnel on-site during most of the build phase. The 18-story Belvedere tower was topped-out within six months. Constructors poured a new floor every four days.
The marina accommodates luxury yachts and speedboats. It can be accessed from the Thames at high tide. A sphere on a mast topping the Belvedere indicated lock accessibility. It was connected to a tide gauge by the lock gate.
So, whether you love it or hate it, the Belvedere Tower is a landmark. It’s a testament to ambitious redevelopment. It’s a former home to music icons. It stands tall on the London skyline.