One Hyde Park

One Hyde Park stands in Knightsbridge, London’s most exclusive district. It is a luxury residential and retail complex built on the site of the 1950s Bowater House. The building was designed by Graham Stirk at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and completed in 2010. A new entrance to Knightsbridge tube station was added as part of the project. The sculpture Search for Enlightenment by Simon Gudgeon was installed in 2012 to mark the first anniversary. The complex is recognised as the most expensive apartment block in the UK. A penthouse sold for £140 million in 2010, the highest price ever paid for a British home. Commercial tenants include Rolex, McLaren Automotive and the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Owners of residences have included Rinat Akhmetov, Kylie Minogue and the Candy brothers. Only nine of the 62 apartments were registered for council tax in 2011. Visitors see a modern glass and stone façade overlooking Hyde Park. Inside, luxury finishes and high-end retail spaces define the interiors. The sculpture Search for Enlightenment faces Hyde Park and the Serpentine. The building’s entrance connects directly to Knightsbridge tube station. Despite its grandeur, reports in 2013 suggested few residents were living there at the time.