Vantage Point facts for kids
Vantage Point is a tall building in London, England. It used to be called Archway Tower. It has 17 floors and is about 195 feet (59 meters) high. The building is right above the Archway Underground train station. It was designed by Grid Architects and is now owned and managed by a company called Essential Living. It has many homes for people to rent.
Contents
A Look Back: The Building's Story
Archway Tower was built a long time ago, in 1963, by the UK government. In 1967, the building was sold. The government then rented it back for 42 years. It was used for government offices that helped people with things like benefits.
The building was empty for a few years. Then, in 2001, another government office moved in. This office later became two important groups: the Court of Protection and the Office of the Public Guardian. These groups help people who need support with their decisions.
In 2007, the tower was sold again to a company called Scarborough Property Group. The Court and the Office of the Public Guardian moved out of the building in 2011.
After being empty for two years, Essential Living bought Archway Tower in 2013. They paid about £6 million for it. Their plan was to turn the building from offices into many homes. It was one of the biggest projects of its kind in the country.
Making It New: The Big Change
New Design and Purpose
This big project changed the building from offices into homes. It also involved putting a completely new outside skin, or façade, on the building.
Changing a 50-year-old building was a challenge. The building was very strong from when it was built in the 1960s. However, the way buildings were made back then was different from today. So, the designers had to carefully plan how the new outside parts would connect to the old building. They made sure everything was safe and strong for its new use.
When the Work Finished
The building work took two years. The newly named Vantage Point opened its doors on September 1, 2016.
Vantage Point now has 118 apartments. These include small studio flats, one-bedroom flats, and two-bedroom flats. They are located on floors 1 to 15. The 16th and 17th floors have shared spaces for residents to use, like lounges or gyms.
