Recognised as one of London’s most significant modern apartment buildings, the pioneering design of the Park Road Apartments was the first residential project in the UK with a central core.

Borrowing from principles of commercial floor plans with lifts, stairs and bathrooms at the centre, the open-plan living spaces offered unprecedented flexibility for owners, with more than 70 variations of plan possible for the 40 flats and penthouses.

Clad in corrugated anodised aluminium with ribbon windows, the lightweight construction is distinctive for its curved corners, which give each flat a continuous, unfettered panoramic view.

Even politically this Grade II listed building broke new ground: it was the first time a housing association had won permission to build flats in central London, and especially on a desirable Regent’s Park site.

This arrangement for procurement allowed owners to avoid developer costs, giving approximately 50 per cent cost savings on the market price. Much loved by residents, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw himself made it his family’s home for six years.