Former Battersea candle factory to be transformed into new luxury waterfront homes

Ghelamco, a European real estate investor and developer, has purchased their second major development since entering the London market. 

It has acquired The HiLight on the banks of the River Thames in Battersea, a 250,500 sq ft former candle factory which will be transformed into waterfront living and contemporary, luxury residences with unobstructed panoramic views over London, alongside beautiful landscaping. 

Ghelamco has partnered with award-winning architectural design firm Squire & Partners for the project, renowned for their work on residences, hotels and public buildings around the globe to include Brighton Harbour and Ruby Zoe Hotel in Kensington. 

Wandsworth Borough Council has approved planning for 113 one-to-three bedroom luxury apartments featuring balconies, bay windows and full height glazing to maximise the breathtaking river views, as well as secure underground parking. 

In addition, a range of amenities to create “perfect balance and flow” will include a club room, cinema, fitness and wellness studio, meeting room and workspaces, sky bar, sports court, viewing platform and sensory rooftop garden. 

With ground breaking planned for Q2 2024 and construction managed by Ghelamco, The HiLight is set to become a landmark on its side of the Thames, with close proximity to Clapham Junction and Plantation Wharf offering a well-connected transport gateway to the rest of London. 

Bowler James Brindley has been appointed by Ghelamco as the interior designer whose work includes W Budapest, a 140-year-old neo-Renaissance building hotel.

The luxury residences have been designed to flood the living spaces with outdoor lighting whilst offering tactile finishes and premium European appliances, “setting a new standard” for Battersea waterfront living with warm contemporary interiors and unrivalled views across the Thames. 

Meanwhile Grant Associates have been chosen as the rooftop garden landscapers who are renowned for curating Gardens By The Bay in Singapore, and for addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction in their work. 

This acquisition follows Ghelamco’s successful debut project, The Arc, a mixed-use scheme in Shoreditch which is now complete and will be the UK’s first building to be DGNB certified, as the firm seeks to invest around London in residential and commercial projects.

Marie-Julie Gheysens, Head of UK, International Business Development at Ghelamco commented: “Our unique approach to placemaking and building beautiful homes will add something completely new to the area while remaining sympathetic to the history of the space and the environment.”