The Corniche, an Overview

Situated opposite Tate Britain on the Albert Embankment, the Corniche apartments promise to be a uniquely spectacular development in the newly created Nine Elms district of London. Designed by world-renowned architects Foster & Partners, the Corniche has a sinuous and elegant footprint that echoes the curves of the river Thames and is a display of architectural mastery and skill.

Its individual layout offers a wide selection of suites, one, two and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses. Each finished to the highest standard, no less than you would expect from a world-leading design team.

As well as all the usual amenities a development of this quality offers; 24 hr concierge, underground parking etc, the Corniche also boasts an infinity pool, spa rooms, screening room and an exclusive 19th-floor resident’s club lounge.

A History of The Corniche

20-21 Albert Embankment has for the last half a century been the site of Hampton House, a dull unassuming office block that has been vacant for many years. The Albert Embankment has for many years represented the faceless, pedestrian facet that every city must have to function. Recent intelligent discourse has however finally recognised that the River Thames should be regenerated into a destination for recreation and living. The revival of this area harks back to its heady pre-Victorian days when the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens brought in thousands of visitors and the area was a mix of commerce and culture.

The Corniche apartments are a significant symbol of this renewed vigour for development. The panoramic glass towers exhibit a feat of engineering that recalls England’s industrial heyday. While it is well known that the Doulton pottery factory was located on nearby Black Prince Road, less well known is Glasshouse Walk, situated just behind the Corniche, and named after the decorative glass factory once sited here. Manufacturers of specialist glass, the factory was founded by the Duke of Buckingham, a close ally of Charles II, who benefitted commercially by securing a ban on much specialist glass being imported. As a result, Vauxhall was well known for its glass industry from the 1600s and beyond.

In more recent history, Vauxhall was the proposed site for ‘The Crystal Span’, a glass bridge spanning the River Thames from Vauxhall to Pimlico. Put forward in the 1960s by the Glass Age Development Committee, the idea for a seven-storey, ‘horizontal skyscraper’ included a six-lane highway over which was an ice rink, commercial space, a gallery that was earmarked to become the new Tate as well as residential apartments and a roof garden.

In the context of today’s engineering and superstructures, this does not sound totally implausible. However, in the context of a 1960’s brutalist concrete zeitgeist, the Crystal Spans £7 million price tag (£124 million today) was thought too expensive. Certainly, it puts into perspective the proposals currently being discussed to create a new pedestrian and cycle bridge being built as part of the Nine Elms development programme.

Living & Investing In The Corniche

The Corniche has been designed to provide maximum enhancement of its environment for residents. The curvaceous shape and three stepped towers accommodate a variety of layouts from spacious suites to substantial penthouses. The mix of configurations means that many apartments have an individual footprint and utilise the space and natural light.

The panoramic windows of each living room are a key selling feature. Unlike flat glazed windows which requires you to be ‘at the window’ to take in the full view, panoramic windows allow the occupier to admire the cityscape view from the comfort of one’s sofa. The result is a widescreen cinemascope vista that also enables the suns path to fill the room with daylight.

In the evening, the interiors recessed lighting and coffered ceiling (in selected apartments) create an intimate, yet contemporary living space reminiscent of those wonderful Manhattan apartments seen in classic Hollywood films.

Certainly the Corniche would appeal to Hollywood’s elite or indeed anyone who wishes to live like a star. It combines the discreet, professional elegance of the best hotels with the practicality and autonomy of domestic living. Corniche residents appreciate the finer things in life, whether they be bachelors seeking a one bedroom apartment close to the City, or a family needing a Central London home close to the many excellent private schools, the City’s financial district and the environs of Chelsea. Foreign buyers will like the global mindset of the Nine Elms District yet still close to the quirks and ‘grit’ that make up authentic London living.

The Corniche & Beyond

While not yet completed the Nine Elms redevelopment is well under way. The inception hospitality group, famed for their fashionable, tongue-in-cheek restaurants such as Maggie’s, St Bart’s and Bunga Bunga have already confirmed their intentions to open two new bars and restaurants. Gordon Ramsay’s latest restaurant, London House has already opened on Battersea Square and rumour has it, fashion designer Victoria Beckham, has been eyeing up sites on Nine Elms as the headquarters of her fashion label. St James the developer of the Corniche, Riverlight and Merano residences have also confirmed their intention of relocating their head office into part of the commercial space of the Corniche.

While Nine Elms promises to become a creative, commercial and residential hub, London would not have maintained its ‘capital of cool’ mantle for so long without also delivering the unexpected. Yes, all the famous sights and attractions are on your doorstep but so is the esoteric Cuming Museum. On the very ‘urban’ Walworth Road, the Cuming Museum is home to the unusual personal legacy of Edward Lovett. Lovett was a chronic, chronicler of London life and his collection is made up of mementos, talismans and lucky charms passed down by generations of Londoners. Bermondsey Antiques Market, just up the road, may attract modern day Londoners looking to build up their own legacy or perhaps seeking a piece of Vauxhall made glassware. Admirers of contemporary glass can also visit Peter Layton’s Studio also on Bermondsey Street, Layton’s work has had a string of notable collectors including the Duchess of Kent and Elton John.