Strata SE1

Strata SE1 stands on the Elephant & Castle roundabout in the London Borough of Southwark. The 147-metre tower has 43 floors and houses 408 flats. More than 1,000 people live in the building. It was designed by BFLS and completed in 2010. At the time it was London’s tallest residential tower and the first in the world to include wind turbines in its design. The building replaced Castle House, a 1960s office block demolished in 2007. The tower’s wind turbines were intended to generate sustainable energy. Three 18-metre turbines were installed, each rated at 19 kW. They were expected to produce 50 MWh of electricity a year, enough for the building’s communal areas. The turbines were soon criticised as ineffective and noisy. Residents complained of vibration and the noise was louder on higher floors. The turbines have been mothballed since 2010. Visitors to Strata SE1 find a mix of private flats and shared-ownership apartments. The affordable flats are called Esprit Apartments and occupy floors two to ten. Above the tenth floor are studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The 39th floor has a Sky Lobby with views over central London. The top floor contains a three-bedroom duplex penthouse. The ground floor has two shops, and a third is in the adjacent Pavilion. The building also offers 437 bicycle spaces and a secure basement car park.