As part of Southwark and Lend Lease’s £1.5bn regeneration of Elephant and Castle, Squire and Partners’ vibrant mixed-use masterplan was designed to provide 284 new homes and a new state of the art Leisure Centre for Southwark, as well as shops, restaurants, offices and improved public spaces.

The masterplan identified three architectural elements, a new leisure centre conceived as a series of cubes, a tall slender landmark building rising to 37-storeys, and a smaller 4-storey pavilion, which use a palette of stone, glass and metal. The taller building features metallic vertical detailing and far reaching views across London.  As a key marker within the development, One the Elephant complements the local environment including the Grade II listed Metropolitan Tabernacle.

New pedestrian access routes increase permeability through the site, while landscaping – including water features, trees and seating – improves connections between St Mary’s Churchyard and the new development, and sensitively adapts the existing Martha Schwartz playground.  Designed as an exemplar sustainable development, set to push the boundaries for tall buildings in London, the scheme will achieve Level 4 or above under the Code for Sustainable Homes.