Great Marlborough Estates Acquire Site

Great Marlborough has acquired Empire House, a vacant office building which overlooks Chiswick High Road, for redevelopment purposes.

Empire House is to be redeveloped into housing, via a deal that was negotiated during lockdown, and is one of the largest residential transactions to take place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will see 137 new homes delivered, providing a mix of apartments and townhouses.

Great Marlborough Estates acquired the consented one-acre site from Lendlease. Essex Place is sited behind Chiswick High Road and, in line with changing consumer tastes post-lockdown, each home will benefit from private outdoor space, which will come in the form of either a balcony or garden.

Generous amenity space will include roof terraces as well as an elegant new façade being designed to complement the area’s surrounding townscape. On the ground floor there will be an additional 9,00 sq ft of retail and leisure space spread through two units.

Designed by Assael Architecture, the new development will be sympathetic to the heritage of the surrounding area and will draw inspiration from the red-brick buildings around it, as well as the greener townscape of the surrounding Chiswick High Road.

JLL advised Great Marlborough Estates on the acquisition. Knight Frank advised Lendlease.

Grant Lipton, co-founder of Great Marlborough Estates, said: “Whilst COVID-19 has undoubtedly created some uncertainty, we remain committed to the long-term outlook for London and the capital’s property market thanks to strong underlying fundamentals. London will remain a preeminent global hub for business, culture and leisure, all of which will feed into demand for housing in the city.

“Acquiring this site in Chiswick marks a significant milestone for Great Marlborough Estates, further expanding our portfolio across London. Alongside providing high quality, well designed new homes, the redevelopment of Empire House will further enhance Chiswick High Road and open up new opportunities for the local area, providing a great place for those who live, work and visit Chiswick.”

Pete Ladhams, Managing Director at Assael Architecture, said: “The redevelopment of this site presents a rare opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate this part of Chiswick in a way that adds to the existing heritage and green space. We have enjoyed working with Great Marlborough Estates to repurpose the existing building to create a unique residential neighbourhood and a destination fronting on to Chiswick High Road. Our design has sought to remain contemporary, but sympathetic to the heritage and character situated on the bustling High Road and tranquillity of Turnham Green.”

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