The building formerly known as Britannia Row Studios, where Pink Floyd recorded the albums Animals and The Wall, has been brought to the market with a range of future uses mooted.
35-53 Britannia Row, two interconnected buildings in Islington and located just 900 metres from Angel London Underground Station, is a Victorian former warehouse building and Mission Hall which was used during the twentieth century as recording studios by artists including James Blunt, Joy Division, Kylie Minogue, Pulp and Westlife. It is being sold by the London Land team at Savills.
The property’s availability, which is freehold with vacant possession, represents a significant redevelopment or refurbishment opportunity. The main former industrial building at numbers 37 – 53, and number 35 Britannia Row, a former Mission Hall, are both three storeys and there are some later extensions to the rear of the property. There is also a gated yard area accessed from Britannia Row.
The site, which is in easy access to the amenities of one of London’s best and most affluent high streets, extends to approximately 0.4 acres (0.16 hectares), with the gross internal area (GIA) of the existing building totalling 31,700 square feet (2,945 sq m).
In addition to residential use, the building could be used as offices, various types of studios and industrial uses that do not impact on neighbouring residential amenity, without permission for a change of use. The building could also suit a storage use, subject to the necessary permissions.
Planning permission was granted in 2018 for a new third and fourth floor to the Property, comprising 8 residential units, and further lateral extensions over the yard to provide additional office space, giving a total of 38,008 sq ft (3,531 sq m) GIA offices and 893 sq m (9,612 sq ft) residential net sales area. Whilst this permission has expired it underlines the property’s potential and sets a precedent to add significant floorspace.
Britannia Row is a short distance from the junction of Essex Road and Upper Street, which has a variety of independent and international restaurants, bars and retailers, as well as the Business Design Centre, an iconic conference centre and an array of cultural venues including The Almeida Theatre, The Screen on the Green (Everyman) and the Angel Comedy Club at The Camden Head. The Regent’s Canal is 500 metres south of the property and there are various green open spaces nearby including Shoreditch Park, Islington Green and the New River Path. The surrounding properties are mostly in residential use.
Darren Arnold, Director in the London Development Land team at Savills, stated: “This sale represents an exciting opportunity to acquire a historic building that has both a strong link to the UK’s musical heritage and the potential to extend its legacy for future generations. With a growing need to mitigate climate change within the urban environment, the potential to adopt a retrofit fit first approach is one of the many things that will appeal to developers, along with its character and connectivity which really set it apart.”