Just across the River Thames from Battersea Power Station, not far from Chelsea Bridge and nearby prestigious neighbourhoods like Belgravia, Chelsea, and Pimlico, is Chelsea Barracks. Its history goes all the way back to the 15th century, when it was used for grazing, before, in 1862, it housed two battalions of infantry and was also home to the Royal Guards. Thus, this bit of prime real estate was out of reach for more than 150 years, explains Richard Oakes, chief sales and marketing officer for Qatari Diar, which now owns Chelsea Barracks. Oakes adds that the real estate investment company, established by the Qatar Investment Authority, has been developing Chelsea Barracks for more than a decade.
“This is the first development of its type in more than 100 years, and likely the last. We have reintroduced 12.8ac of previously isolated land into the existing Belgravia community, erasing the boundary of the barracks,” Oakes says. “The project has reinstated more than five acres of open green space in the heart of London. And its proximity to one of London’s most vibrant and charming locations, Pimlico Road, offers residents access to the best restaurants, culture, and shopping the capital has to offer.”
Recently, Chelsea Barracks announced the completion of 9 Mulberry Square, its next residential address, consisting of 46 residences and two penthouses, and featuring a range of one- to five-bedroom homes designed by Eric Parry Architects (prices start from £3.5 million for a one-bedroom apartment). But you’ll have to move fast, as 50 per cent of 9 Mulberry Square is already sold, while Chelsea Barracks as a whole has garnered £1.2 billion in sales from all over the world.
Robb Report Malaysia recently visited Chelsea Barracks and saw how 9 Mulberry Square exudes a timelessly modern aesthetic—two juxtaposed words that are often bandied about lately. But the feeling becomes tangible when walking from Sloane Square tube station and through Belgravia to reach it (which only takes five minutes). The stately building is next to the august Whistler Square Townhouses and Mulberry Square Townhouses, as well as the regal residences of 1 Mulberry Square, 8 Whistler Square and 9 Whistler Square . They are all complemented by an abundance of gardens, of which there will be a total of seven new garden squares, comprising 40 per cent of Chelsea Barracks when fully completed.
A hop, skip, and a jump away from 9 Mulberry Square is The Campaner restaurant, serving exquisite Catalonian cuisine, as well as the Grade II-listed Garrison Chapel, protected and run by the King’s Foundation to showcase traditional arts and heritage crafts. When I dropped by, the influence of geometry and mathematics in art and the natural world were on display, while just outside the chapel, an artisan’s fair was bustling with activity and the clinking of wine glasses. I felt at home already.
What will turn a home into a haven I never want to leave is, however, The Garrison Club at Grenadier Gardens, which is 32,749 sq ft of best-in-class fitness, wellness, and work and living amenities. It has a multi-use sports hall that, utilising cutting-edge floor lighting technology, can host a round of tennis, pickleball, basketball or football. Although the hall is on the second basement floor, it lets in plenty of natural light from the garden above. The club also has an indoor 25m swimming pool; a state-of-the-art gym (where personal trainers from AMP Athletic will tailor a workout plan just for you); a delightful children’s playroom; spa treatment and consultation rooms; and ample club lounge seats and sofas where you can relax and unwind, accompanied by a bespoke Chelsea Barracks scent. And if work allows a hybrid arrangement, you can book any one of the 11 boardrooms and private offices, all of which will make for outstanding Zoom meeting backgrounds. All these amenities in The Garrison Club are in addition to the 18,460 sq ft of facilities already offered to residents at Whistler Square. So why would you want to live, work and play anywhere else?
“Wellness is an increasing consideration for modern buyers, and we have been committed to placing this at the core of Chelsea Barracks from as early as the planning stages,” Oakes says. “They have been woven into all areas of the development—from the open green spaces planted with native species as well as culinary and medicinal plants, to the scale and content of our new sports and amenity offering at The Garrison Club. We can say that no other London super prime scheme offers the level of amenities found at Chelsea Barracks.”
As I’m getting changed in the lockers after a robust fat-burning session in the gym led by Niall, a personal trainer from AMP, I found myself increasingly besotted by the Chelsea Barracks life. Any development around the world can design and offer spectacular gardens, amenities, apartments, townhouses, or houses that could become home; but even just one day in The Garrison Club convinces you that Chelsea Barracks is where you want to live—mind, body and soul.
“I think it’s this attention to detail we have adopted that has supported the development of Chelsea Barracks as a luxury brand and helped us achieve such a unique residential experience,” Oakes says. “There’s nothing else like it on the market in London.”
