Highbury Square

Highbury Square
Aerial view of Highbury Square in 2022
Former names	Arsenal Stadium
Alternative names	Highbury
General information
Type	Apartment complex
Location	Highbury
Address	Avenell Road, N5
Town or city	London
Country	England
Coordinates	51°33′28″N 0°6′10″W
Construction started	2006
Completed	2010 (2010)
Owner	Arsenal F.C.
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Claude Waterlow Ferrier and William Binnie
Renovating team
Architect(s)	Allies and Morrison
Renovating firm	Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.
Website
myhighburysquare.com

Highbury Square is an apartment complex in Highbury, London. It is a redevelopment of the old Highbury Stadium site, the home stadium of Arsenal F.C. until 2006 when they moved to the newly built Emirates Stadium nearby.^[1]

History

Main article: Arsenal Stadium

The East Stand facade

The venue was the home of Arsenal for 93 years until 2006, when the club moved to Emirates Stadium. Arsenal moved to Highbury from Woolwich in 1913 and Highbury's first stands were designed by Archibald Leitch.^[2] The main East and West stands were rebuilt in the 1930s in the Art Deco style. Their façades remain in the present development.^[3]

Redevelopment

The North Bank and Clock End were demolished while the older Grade II listed buildings of the East and West Stands remained as part of the development.^[4] The pitch was redeveloped into gardens.^[5] Several parts of Arsenal Stadium were retained including the marble halls, the bust of Herbert Chapman and the players' tunnel.^[6] It was opened officially in 2009,^[7] by Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger.^[8]

Designed by Allies and Morrison, the renovation of the complex has been praised by critics for creating "a feeling of openness and nature" while also providing "protection and privacy".^[9] In 2009, Highbury Square's design won the MIPIM Special Jury Award.^[10]

Characterisation

Highbury Square has 650 flats, which have a relatively high ground rent and many communal services (a higher-income centred service charge). The square has a public footpath through it and any public approach way, though little open to the sky, means it is arguably considered rather than a green court/courtyard, a garden square - the path was briefly forestalled for better drainage to be made.^[11]

In 2009, Arsenal sold 150 flats to London & Stamford Property at a 20% discount to brochure asking price as dozens of "buyers" (the word is used loosely in this context) failed to exchange contracts (or complete).^[12] Arsenal cleared their conversion bill by 2010.^[13]

Sustainable design

The developments design incorporated some of the most up to date thinking to reduce carbon emissions, including the largest solar thermal heating installation of its type in Europe at the time of its construction together with combined heat and power (CHP) plant feeding into a district heating system which serves the whole development.^[14]

References

1. "Highbury Square". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
2. Stuart Free (17 January 2010). "Arsenal Stadium". The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
3. "A Conservation Plan for Highbury Stadium, London" (PDF). Islington Council. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
4. Historic England (16 July 1997). "Details from listed building database (1119692)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
5. "Football ground now transformed". BBC News. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
6. "Redevelopment of Highbury Stadium". London: Guardian. 20 September 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
7. Media Group, Arsenal (24 September 2009). "Arsenal celebrates Highbury Square opening". www.arsenal.com. The Arsenal Football Club plc. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
8. Alan Smith (18 September 2009). "Alan Smith: Arsenal memories ensure club will always be at home at Highbury". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
9. Rowan Moore (4 November 2009). "Pride of the Gunners: High praise for Highbury Square". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
10. "Highbury Square wins MIPIM Special Jury Award 2009 (FR/UK)". Europe Real Estate. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
11. "Highbury Square developers 'stalling' on public footpath access". Camden New Journal. 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
12. Taylor, Peter (28 September 2009). "Arsenal accepts lowball offer for vacant Highbury Square flats". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
13. "Arsenal property deals send profits to record high". BBC News. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
14. "Highbury Square | Crofton | Building Services Engineering". crofton.consulting. Retrieved 28 January 2021.