Space Croydon

Specificity

Enabling the Transition from Office to Home

Following the relocation of the Home Office to Ruskin Square, this change-of-use approval paves the way for the sensitive reuse of Apollo and Lunar House. By utilising the permitted development (PD) route, we’re bringing 585 new homes to Croydon—delivered efficiently, thoughtfully, and with architectural respect.

Originally designed as flexible, speculative office buildings, both towers feature a structural grid free of load-bearing walls, continuous ribbon windows, and freestanding lift cores—elements that now lend themselves naturally to residential adaptation. This built-in flexibility aligns with key circular economy principles, embracing reuse over rebuild.

Through a light-touch design approach, we’re preserving the modernist character of the buildings while introducing new homes that meet today’s needs.

Key Design Features:

• Aligned internal partitions with original window mullions to retain architectural rhythm
• Naturally lit gallery-access corridors offering expansive views
• A rich mix of apartment sizes, with around 75% exceeding national space standards
• Adaptable layouts with sliding partitions to support flexible living and working from home

Strategy

The approved prior notifications marks the first milestone in a broader vision for ‘Space Croydon’—a framework that preserves built heritage while unlocking opportunities for future regeneration.

This phased approach offers multiple benefits:

• Enables the ‘second life’ of the buildings to begin soon after the Home Office’s relocation.
• Establishes a financially viable foundation for long-term redevelopment.
• Ensures that future planning applications can enhance the public realm, improve entrances, and introduce new amenities and community infrastructure.

As the masterplan progresses, we envision a dynamic mixed-use destination that honours the area’s unique architectural identity while meeting the needs of future residents.

Future Phases Will Deliver:

• Active ground-floor uses that energise the public realm
• More residential homes, including affordable housing
• Further architectural enhancements to Apollo and Lunar House
• A new healthcare facility focused on community wellbeing
• A lunar-inspired landscape, celebrating Croydon’s space-age heritage

A phased approach ensures the thoughtful and sustainable transformation of the site—delivering homes in the short term while laying the groundwork for long-termregeneration. By preserving and reimagining these modernist structures, Studio Egret West is shaping a future for Croydon that is both forward-looking and respectful of its past.