W.RE lines up first tenants at Battersea’s former Arding & Hobbs store
W.RE has let more than 33,000 sq ft of its redevelopment project at former department store Arding & Hobbs in Battersea, SW11.
The London-based real estate developer and asset manager has let 28,000 sq ft across three floors to luxury heath club and gym Third Space.
W.RE has let more than 33,000 sq ft of its redevelopment project at former department store Arding & Hobbs in Battersea, SW11.
The London-based real estate developer and asset manager has let 28,000 sq ft across three floors to luxury heath club and gym Third Space.
Imbiba-backed London bar group Albion & East has also taken 5,500 sq ft on the ground floor of the building, which is located near Clapham Junction.
The renovated building will offer five studios for Third Space equipped for yoga classes, reformer Pilates and hot yoga. It will also feature a personalised high-intensity studio with immersive light and sound and a cycle studio with recording studio-level acoustics.
Other features of the club include a track and rig area for functional training with assault bikes and SkiErgs and a wet spa with massage jet hydropool, ice plunge pool and Himalayan salt walled sauna.
Albion & East will have a purpose-built “urban distillery and tasting room”, which will distil the first vodka for the group.
The Arding & Hobbs building, which was purpose-built around 1910, has featured in films, television programmes, music videos and books.
When renovations are completed in the autumn, the former home to Debenhams will be transformed into a 90,000 sq ft mixed-use development. It will offer both flexible retail and leisure space across the ground and basement floors and office space on the upper floors.
Colin Waggett, chief executive of Third Space, said: “With such an iconic building comes the need to ensure that we are doing it justice, through pushing the boundaries of what people can expect from gyms and their design aesthetics. We will offer members a luxurious environment, with the very best in training and recovery facilities.”
Sarah Weir, managing director at Albion & East, said that the premises will be a “fantastic addition” to its collection as the company favours a “light-intervention approach, building on the original aesthetics of the old department store… to bring the space back to its former grandeur”.
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Photo © W.RE
