The London Borough of Croydon has a wide variety of buildings mainly from post-war through to modern. Much of the modern architecture in the borough is centred on the commercial centre of the town, with much of the Victorian designs spread out on both the northern and southern corridors of the borough. Many former warehouses and factories have been converted for other uses changing the external appearance of Croydon erratically. Croydon also has a number of high rise buildings. Most were built during the sixties and seventies. However, in the last few years there has been a renewed interest in constructing tall buildings in Croydon. Numerous residential and office blocks are being built or have recently been built in the town centre.

Saffron Square Saffron Square (formerly known as Wellesley Square) is a town square and high-rise building in Croydon, United Kingdom. The purple and red Saffron Tower is currently the second-tallest building in Croydon. Saffron Square is part of the Croydon ...

, a residential building completed in 2016, overtook

Altitude 25 Altitude 25 is an apartment building on Fairfield Road in the London Borough of Croydon, London. It is Croydon's fourth tallest building. The development was intended to regenerate a brownfield site near to East Croydon station.Croydon Vocational Tower, was scheduled to finish construction in 2010 near East Croydon station. , however, construction had not taken place. , there are several upcoming architectural projects in the centre of the borough in the form of the

Croydon Gateway Ruskin Square (or Croydon Gateway) is a project to redevelop a parcel of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme. It ha ...

scheme and the Cherry Orchard Road Towers.

Buildings of interest in Croydon

Recent developments

Under the Labour-run council since 1990, Croydon has witnessed a new period of construction. Prompted by the regeneration of the centre of Croydon. It features mainly office buildings designed by separate architects. Many of the new buildings in the past couple of years have been mainly low-rise. The Beddington Zero Energy Development in Beddington was designed by Bill Dunster. The project was conducted as a partnership between the BioRegional Development Group, the Peabody Trust, Bill Dunster Architects, Arup, and Gardiner and Theobald as cost consultants. The project is designed to use only energy from renewable sources generated on site. In addition to 777m² of

solar panel A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...

s, tree waste fuels the development's

cogeneration Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elect ...

plant (downdraft gasifier) to provide

district heating District heating (also known as heat networks or teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating a ...

and electricity. Other large-scale projects include the major Centrale shopping centre development by The Birmingham Alliance, which replaced the former C&A store and the 1980s

Drummond Centre Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon, South London, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by Hammerson and was opened in 2004. Plans were announced in January 2013 to redevelop Centrale and combine ...

which had fallen out of favour with the public. The new shopping centre was completed in 2004 and is managed by

St Martins Property Group St Martins Property Investments Limited (trading as St Martins Property Group) is a property development, investment and asset management company based in the United Kingdom representing the real estate interests of the State of Kuwait with the ...

. The building has been designed to maximise the view of West Croydon from the eastern windows including the IKEA Towers landmarks on Purley Way. The building also has solar panels on the roof. The shopping centre features the high-end retailer

House of Fraser House of Fraser (also operating as Frasers) is a British department store group with 44 locations across the United Kingdom, which is now part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it w ...

which takes up most of the southern side of the centre. In

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

, the College Green area has seen the construction of a new building for the Croydon Sixth Form College, Croydon Skills and Enterprise College and the Croydon Higher Education College. Many large-scale projects are proposed as part of the

Croydon Vision 2020 Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive ...

regeneration plan. One of the most recent buildings to be constructed and opened within the northern half of the borough is Penoyre & Prasad's £25m

Ashburton Learning Village Ashburton Learning Village is a learning complex in Woodside, Greater London. It stands in the London Borough of Croydon, and is located near Ashburton Park. The learning village includes Ashburton Library, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Croydon M ...

Woodside Woodside may refer to: Places and buildings Australia *Woodside, South Australia, a town *Woodside, Victoria, a town Canada *Woodside National Historic Site, the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King *Woodside, Nova Scotia, a neighborho ...

which was partially opened in September 2006. The flagship building is home to

Ashburton Community School Oasis Academy Shirley Park (formerly Ashburton Community School) is a mixed all-through school located within the Ashburton Learning Village complex in the Woodside area of Croydon, Greater London, England. The school educates children of prim ...

, the Croydon Music Service,

Ashburton Library Ashburton Learning Village is a learning complex in Woodside, Greater London. It stands in the London Borough of Croydon, and is located near Ashburton Park. The learning village includes Ashburton Library, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Croydon M ...

and the Continuing Education and Training Service (CETS). Special features of the complex praised by energy minister

Malcolm Wicks Malcolm Hunt Wicks (1 July 1947 – 29 September 2012) was a British Labour Party politician and academic specialising in social policy. He was a member of parliament (MP) from 1992, first for Croydon North West and then for Croydon North, unt ...

, include the building having the largest

s to be installed in any building inside the United Kingdom. The former

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

world champion, John Surtees who was a former student of the school joined architect Greg Penoyre, who designed the flagship building and the Mayor of Croydon at an open day to officially launch the complex. Another recently built building is East Croydon station, one of the busiest in

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

. The present East Croydon station building was opened on 19 August 1992. It consists of a large steel and glass frame suspended from a lightweight steel structure that straddles the track and platforms to a much greater extent than was possible with its

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

predecessor. Four steel ladder masts anchor the glass box and the whole gives the impression of a suspension bridge that stretches into the distance. External canopies cover the entrances, a cafes open-air seating area and the approaches to the tram station. 440 m² of glass were used in the roof and 800 m² for the wall glazing. The architects were Alan Brookes Associates, who also made the close by

NLA Tower No. 1 Croydon (formerly the NLA Tower, and colloquially the 50p Building, the Weddingcake or the Threepenny bit building) is a tall building at 12–16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Greater London, next to East Croydon station. It was designed by ...

, and the structural engineers YRM Anthony Hunt Associates. Being a key destination in the south for entertainment, Croydon recently opened the Croydon Grants. The Grants, towering over

Surrey Street Market Surrey Street Market (also known as Croydon Market) is a street market located in Surrey Street, Croydon, south London. Records of a market on the site date back to the 13th century. It operates six days a week, Monday to Saturday, and mainly ...

and in the shadow of the Croydon Clocktower. Inside the main attraction is a 10-screen

Vue Vue or VUE may refer to: Places * Vue, Loire-Atlantique, a commune in France * The Vue, a skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina Arts, entertainment and media * Vue (band), a rock and roll band from San Francisco, California * Vue Cinemas, a cin ...

cinema, which was formerly a Warner Village. Although there are many other attractions, including a Reflex 80's Bar, Virgin Active, Nandos, Tiger Tiger and Lloyds No.1 Bar. The building is situated on five floors, with the top two being used by the cinema.

Future developments

Further new projects are planned for the city under the

regeneration plan. Croydon's ambition to become "London's Third City" is a result of increased investment in the town and has led to some of South London's most ambitious non-residential schemes in the past ten years. Plans include the construction of a new

shopping centre A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...

to replace

St George's Walk St George's Walk is a partially covered shopping parade in the centre of Croydon, London that houses many independent stores. It was completed in 1964 by Ronald Ward and Partners, the designers of St George's House, at one end of the walk, and M ...

and older properties on George Street. The proposed redevelopment of Park Place by

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

and

Lend Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...

will create a one million square foot destination with over 130 shops, cafes and restaurants, anchored by a new department store which the council hopes will be John Lewis. Other tennents interested include

Habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

, Borders and Gap. Improvements will see Queen's Gardens completely remodelled, together with the construction of a fully integrated public transport hub to include a new bus interchange and

tram stop A tram stop, tram station, streetcar stop, or light rail station is a place designated for a tram, streetcar, or light rail vehicle to stop so passengers can board or alight it. Generally, tram stops share most characteristics of bus stops, bu ...

. The building of Park Place will create Europe's largest covered retail area.

is the latest focus of major developments in the centre of Croydon following the demolition of various buildings there, including

Wettern House Wettern House was a high rise building next to East Croydon station in Croydon. Originally built in 1963, two years before the County Borough of Croydon disbanded into the London Borough of Croydon, it was demolished in November 2005 to make way ...

. The Gateway site, a former railway goods yard which has been largely unoccupied since the 1960s, represents the largest single development opportunity in the district. Although there has been considerable interest in the site since the late 1980s by Stanhope, another party has also been interested in the site. Arrowcroft, which has received backing from both the former

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

and the current Conservative administration, has made the development of any project halted repeatedly. The problem is that Stanhope already owns part of the site, and without them selling it to Arrowcroft or Arrowcroft losing interest in the site no building work can commence. The Secretary of State will announce which plan will be granted the compulsory purchase order in mid 2008 after the public inquiry. The proposed scheme from Stanhope called

Ruskin Square Ruskin Square (or Croydon Gateway) is a project to redevelop a parcel of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme. It ha ...

, named after

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...

, incorporates four blocks of office accommodation totalling 99,174 m², a health and fitness centre, a replacement Warehouse Theatre, an urban park and 560 residential units, with 50% affordable housing on a site bounded by George Street, Dingwall Road and Lansdowne Road. There would be a 41-storey

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

which is intended to act as the defining feature of Croydon's planned revival. Occupiers of the retail and restaurant units could include names like Carluccio's,

Strada Strada is a chain based in the United Kingdom of branded restaurants specialising in Italian cuisine with two Strada sites and six Coppa Clubs, all in Southern England. History The concept was spawned by Luke Johnson in 2000 and, over five ...

Café Rouge Café Rouge is a French-styled restaurant chain, with 30 sites across the United Kingdom. Café Rouge is part of a bigger restaurant network owned by Casual Dining Group. History Café Rouge was founded by Roger Myers and Karen Jones, in ...

Giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

, Las Iguanas, Wagamama, Ciao Baby, Pizza Express,

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

and All Bar One. Norman Foster's firm are the principal architects of the scheme. The other scheme that carries the original name has backing from the local council. The plan incorporates a state-of-the-art 12,500 seat arena designed to attract world-class performers and international sporting events. Business conferences and dinners could also be held there, and community activities encouraged through the development of a bespoke community plan. In addition to the arena, the proposals include a mix of shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and a new 9,425 sqm food store. . of offices, 874 new homes, both affordable and private with a landmark tower, a health and fitness centre and a community health centre, a pedestrian plaza and a replacement Warehouse theatre. The result from the High Court is expected in June 2008. On the site of the Fairfield Building of Croydon College, a mixed-use development named the Croydon Vocational Tower has begun construction. The architecture and design of the building has similarities with the

Trump International Hotel and Tower Trump International Hotel may refer to: Current Five buildings are named Trump Hotels with four owned/operated by the Trump organization: * Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago) * Trump International Hotel and Tower (New York City) * Tru ...

currently under construction in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. If the building is finished before the Croydon Gateway Landmark Tower, it will officially become Croydon's tallest tower and one of London's tallest 20 buildings. Planning permission was approved by Croydon Council in February 2007, but building work has been slow ever since. It will be used for both educational purposes on the lower 10 floors by the college and private use as a residential tower on the rest of the 29 floors. There will also be a floor of leisure use which will be used by students of the college and residents of the tower. The building, once finished, will have a structural height of 134 m (439 ft) with the tower measuring 119.8 m in height to the top of the lift motor room, with an architectural spire protruding above this to a height of 133.8 m. Croydon Altitude 25

Highrise structures are being proposed in large numbers. In recent years, the development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom. Construction of the

Altitude 25 Altitude 25 is an apartment building on Fairfield Road in the London Borough of Croydon, London. It is Croydon's fourth tallest building. The development was intended to regenerate a brownfield site near to East Croydon station.brownfield site In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

three minutes' walk from East Croydon station.Facts of the Altitude 25 project
published by Emporis, 2007. The

Croydon Expo The Croydon Exp07 was a series of events held from 2007, aimed at business and residents in the London Borough of Croydon, UK to demonstrate the £2bn of development projects planned for Croydon in the next 10 years. It is part of the Croydon Visi ...

took place during May 2007, around the borough of Croydon. The main display of the future of the town centre can still be seen in the Central Library. The expo was a chance for residents and businesses to see what the future of Croydon would hold in the next decade. There have also been exhibitions for districts of Croydon, including

Waddon Waddon () is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon, at the western end of the town of Croydon. The area borders the London Borough of Sutton. History It is not known when the manor of Croydon was granted to the See of Canterbury, b ...

South Norwood South Norwood is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Surrey. It is located 7.8 miles (12.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross, north of Wood ...

and

, Purley, New Addington, and Coulsdon. The main point of Croydon Exp07 was to showcase the projects included in the

regeneration plan to the public. One of these projects included in the Expo was the Cultural Quarter. This project, devised by Howard Holdings, will include

Croydon Parish Church Croydon Minster is the parish and civic church of the London Borough of Croydon. There are currently more than 35 churches in the borough, with Croydon Minster being the most prominent. It is Grade I listed. Six Archbishops of Canterbury are bur ...

, Bridgehouse, and The Exchange. It will include a new piazza, shops, and a theatre right in the centre of the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

. The Cultural Quarter will be situated between

Surrey Street Surrey Street in the City of Westminster, London, runs from Strand, London, Strand in the north to Temple Place in the south. It was built on land once occupied by Arundel House and its gardens. History Surrey Street was built on land once occ ...

and Church Road, the oldest surviving part of Central Croydon. It is all projected to cost around €29m, and is due to be completed by 2009 as it is already under construction. The new urban space will regenerate a Grade II listed former pumping station and a historic market. The adjacent bridge house will provides 74 affordable apartments and sits above a ground and mezzanine retail space. A new bridge links this building with the area's principal shopping street. The block wraps around an existing

multi-storey car park A multistorey car park (British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a build ...

, creating a back-drop to the open public space. New voids are opened up under the car park, making space for shops and cafés to open out onto the square. Opposite sits a former telephone exchange that is converted into a further 66 apartments. A mixture of green and brown roofs along with off-site renewable energy provision form part of the environmental measures incorporated into the regeneration. Located in the Cultural Quarter, the 150-year-old, castle-style pumping station is an established local icon and an attractive visual feature of the history of Croydon. The council believes the building could become an ideal base for creative businesses such as advertising, architecture, the art and antiques market, crafts, design, designer fashion, film and video, interactive leisure software, music, the performing arts, publishing, software and computer games, television and radio. These would contribute to the culture of the area. The owner, who already has planning permission for gym and leisure facilities, has expressed a willingness to work with the council to find other appropriate uses. Atkins, Walters & Webster (AWW Ltd) was selected as the architects to redesign the Bridge House and Exchange developments.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Architecture Of Croydon Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Croydon

Buildings of interest in Croydon

Recent developments

Future developments

See also

References