One Museum Street
Welcome to the project website for One Museum Street
This website shows the proposals for One Museum Street (also known as Selkirk House) – a now vacant site on Museum Street and High Holborn formally occupied by Travelodge, an NCP car park and its adjacent buildings on West Central Street. The development is being bought forward by Simten on behalf of BC Partners.
Our proposals to transform this site in the heart of Bloomsbury will create a mixed-use office led building for 1,800 workers, 48 new homes and deliver improvements to the neglected public spaces around the site. We have recently submitted updates to the proposals following feedback, please see below to find out more.
35- 37 New Oxford Street and 10-12 Museum Street to be Grade II listed
In reviewing the heritage status of a number of buildings on the site, Historic England have determined to upgrade the status of two groups of buildings – 10-12 Museum St and 35-37 New Oxford Street – to Grade II listing. These buildings were already recognised as positive contributors to the Bloomsbury conservation area which has been reflected in the planning application designs. The designs have taken a sensitive approach through retaining existing structures where possible and preserving heritage features by façade retention. The proposals seek to bring these neglected but characterful buildings back into a good state of repair and viable use to provide a total of 27 new homes including 18 affordable homes across the West Central Street block. The designs have been subject to substantial pre-application consultation with the community and the Council as part of the planning process.
The proposals for One Museum Street represent an opportunity to regenerate this entire urban block, which includes derelict buildings on West Central Street and the vacant Selkirk House, to provide high-quality workspace, homes, retail and transformed public spaces.
We are considering with our heritage specialists and with Camden planning officers what changes might be appropriate in the light of this new designation and we anticipate making the relevant applications for listed building consent alongside the updated planning application.
The masterplan proposals will provide:
A high-quality mixed-use development, providing workspace for up to 1,800 workers on the site of the vacant Selkirk House
48 new homes on site, including family sized affordable homes
A sustainable development designed for longevity, adaptability and sustainability targeting BREEAM outstanding
Substantial improvements to the public spaces on Museum Street and West Central Street, with new seating and plants, to improve safety and reduce anti-social behaviour
New shops, restaurants and cafes bringing more footfall to the area throughout the day in the evenings
A new pedestrian route through the site from High Holborn to West Central Street – called Vine Lane
£15m in business rates per year for the Council to spend on local services and infrastructure
Maximised retention of the existing Selkirk house basement and replacement of the building with a new development built for longevity, adaptability and sustainability
Employment and training opportunities for local people
Changes in responses to feedback
In response to community and other stakeholder feedback, a series of substantial changes have been made to the proposals originally submitting in 2021 for One Museum Street. These changes have now been submitted as amendments to the existing planning application in September 2022 and are summarised below:
A reduction in the proposed height of One Museum street from 21 to 19 stories
A significant increase in the number of new homes to 48 including more affordable homes
Improvements to the public spaces and pedestrian routes
Amendments to the Vine Lane building to become residential and reduce the building height closest to West Central Street.
Proposed new walking route connecting West Central Street and High Holborn
For more detail on the changes made to the scheme in response to feedback, please see here.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment and provide feedback. We appreciate your input and time and look forward to continuing to work with local groups and stakeholders as the plans progress.
Planning application
The planning application for One Museum Street was updated to reflect the changes above in September 2022. The revised documents including designs, Design and Access Statement, SCI and Whole Life Carbon Assessment can be viewed by visiting Camden Council’s planning portal here and searching the application reference number: 2021/2954/P. Here you can provide comments on the planning application directly to Camden Council.
Subject to planning, we expect to start on site with demolition in 2023 for completion in 2027.
The story so far
The previous owner of the site, Labtech, spent several years consulting on proposals for an office-led mixed-use development in line with Camden Council’s draft site allocations policy, which would provide new offices space, homes and public spaces, including a pedestrian route through the site linking West Central Street with High Holborn. Earlier this year, LabTech revised the proposals in response to concerns about the height of the tower and its impact on views and a desire to see more homes delivered, particularly affordable homes.
BC Partners and Simten acquired the site from the previous owner in June 2022 and submitted revisions to the existing planning application in September. The revised plans incorporate the amendments proposed by LabTech in response to community and stakeholder feedback. The changes include a reduction in height and increase in the number of homes. We undertook a further round of engagement with local stakeholders and neighbours to share the amendments in advance of submitting the revised proposals.
The revised documents can be viewed by visiting Camden Council’s planning portal here and searching the application reference number: 2021/2954/P.
BC Partners and Simten are committed to continued engagement with the local community around the proposals, including in regards to the new public spaces provided.
The Team
BC Partners is the owner of the site, having purchased it from Labtech in Summer 2022. Founded in 1986, BC Partners is a leading alternative investment manager focused on private equity, credit, and real estate, with deep networks across Europe and North America.
Simten is the development manager for the project with experience in delivering major ambitious projects across London. As Development Manager, Simten are bringing the proposals forward on behalf of BC Partners.
DSDHA is an architecture, urban design and spatial research studio, established by Deborah Saunt and David Hills. More than bricks and mortar, their projects are about people. They bring projects to life and design them to evolve after completion.
They have been awarded 19 RIBA Awards, have twice been nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, and have also been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize.