London basement construction has taken centre stage yet again, with
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich having just been granted planning
permission to replace his swimming pool as part of his plans to create a
mega basement in his mansion in Kensington. According to the
Daily Mail, the oligarch is keen to extend his 16,000 sq/ft basement
to an impressive 20,000 sq/ft, a leisure complex that will take the
Hornsey Wood reservoir in Finsbury Park and the Guastavino tile vaults
found in New York’s City Hall subway station as inspiration. As well as
the pool, there will be changing rooms, a sauna and a steam room.
Documents submitted to the local council state: “‘This new construction
is proposed as an architecturally significant addition to the original
building that will speak to the broader cultural and constructional
heritage of the city and its language of brick and tile vaulted
subterranean spaces.” The basement conversion’s roof will be located at
least a metre below the surface of the ground to make sure that
Abramovich’s newly landscaped south-facing garden will be able to
flourish. If you want to increase the resale value of your property adding
a swimming pool would perhaps be advisable. A recent Direct Line
Home Insurance study found that that luxury pools are the most highly sought-after feature in
expensive homes. If you’d like to find out more about basement
conversions in London, or have any specific questions regarding planning
consents, get in touch with us here at The Oxford & London Building
Company.
