Description

The new 9-storey development will provide luxury apartments with basement car parking, affordable housing and private leisure facilities. The existing basement will be enlarged to two levels to accommodate car parking, services, a leisure centre and plant.

De Vere Gardens is situated opposite Kensington Palace Gardens, bounded on three sides by roads. To the west is Victoria Road, to the east is De Vere Gardens and to the north is the busy Kensington Road.

History

De Vere Gardens was largely developed between 1875 and 1885 with residential housing, although houses in the northern part of the Site area were converted to the Kensington Park Hotel. After bomb damage to the hotel during WWII the Site was extensively remodelled.

The Site was agricultural with orchards noted on cartographic sources dating from 1717 until the mid 19th century, with what appear to be temporary structures, assembled on the Site by 1822. By 1862 the Site is shown with a riding school, which extended to the south and east of the Site, with Victoria and Kensington Roads having been established.

De Vere Gardens was established between 1875 and 1885 with residential buildings having been constructed on most parts of the Site. The Kensington Park Hotel occupied the north part of the Site.

Extensive remodelling of the hotel after WWII will also have included foundation construction and basement cellaring.

Source: KENSINGTON PALACE HOTEL, KENSINGTON ROAD ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON & CHELSEA Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment by Wessex Archaeology

Companies

David Chipperfield Architects

De Vere Estates

Sir Robert McAlpine