Address: 20 Newcourt Street
In the heart of London, Wendover Studio has breathed new life into the former St John's Wood police station, transforming it into nine stylish rental apartments known as 20 Newcourt Street. The project, a sensitive reinvention of the historic Victorian civic building, seamlessly blends heritage architecture with contemporary communal living, centred around a shared courtyard experience.
The apartments, designed to feel considered and generous, are a testament to Wendover's commitment to spatial quality, natural light, and varied layouts. Each apartment boasts its unique layout, taking cues from the surrounding St John's Wood streets and inspired by models of communal living from the continent.
The key design and features include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, each featuring generous outdoor areas where possible, with shared access to the landscaped courtyard for those without private outdoor space. The central cobblestone courtyard acts as the project's social and physical focal point, providing residents with a private yet communal atmosphere.
The courtyard, intended as a social meeting point and a "thoroughfare" for residents, includes cycle storage, a shared library, and a co-working space. Externally, the project retains and restores the original masonry, while a new extension draws on the building's material language, using pale brick, pre-cast concrete lintels, and painted timber detailing.
The apartments' interiors reflect the building's historic architecture through a restrained and textured palette. Solid oak flooring, off-white lacquered joinery, and terrazzo worktops are featured, achieving a balance between heritage and contemporary minimalism. Kitchens come equipped with terrazzo worktops, while bathrooms boast a design reminiscent of the building's civic past, with Edwardian-style taps, basins, ribbed glass, and glazed off-white tiles with black-edged detailing.
Besides the residential units, the redevelopment includes a small commercial atelier space framed around the courtyard to complement the community feel. This marks Wendover Studio's first foray into the rental sector.
Located on a quiet street between Primrose Hill and Regent's Park, the project prioritizes the quality of light, aspect, and spatial quality over uniformity. The apartments, arranged around a new central courtyard, share a restrained palette to highlight the building's heritage details.
Wendover’s co-founder Gabriel Chipperfield highlighted the choice of St John's Wood for its leafy environment and great London access. He added that the prioritization of quality of light, aspect, and spatial quality was a key design decision. This conversion emphasizes a sensitive reinvention of the historic police station, offering a convivial community environment through boutique rental apartments.
- Investing in real-estate, Wendover Studio transformed the former St John's Wood police station into nine residential apartments, known as 20 Newcourt Street, which prioritize spatial quality, natural light, and varied layouts.
- The subsequent residential project, a blend of heritage architecture and contemporary communal living, includes commercial atelier space for a community feel, marking Wendover Studio's first foray into the rental sector within a leafy environment with great London access.
