Piper Building, Fulham SW6

The Apartment

The Penthouse at The Piper Building occupies over 8000 sq. ft and offers an extraordinary space for any owner to take this lateral footprint to create an apartment that can offer unparalleled space. There are no internal structural walls. The current layout is arranged with 4 bedrooms along with two self-contained apartments and a magnificent ‘ballroom’ that is 50 ft long.

Whilst the likely buyer will look to upgrade the fittings the apartment is otherwise ready to move into.

A roof top studio room with access to terraces that afford 360-degree views over the Thames and London reaching as far as the Shard, to the east, Wembley to the north, Richmond to the west and Crystal Palace to the south

The Building

The Piper Building is named after the celebrated British mid 20th century artist John Piper.

Formally the headquarters of North Thames Gas Board and built in the 1950’s the building was converted in the 90’s to residential use and has over the years has become home to an eclectic mix of professionals and creatives, couples and families, attracted to the flexibility and range of spaces available. Its unique design and appearance are appealing to those who seek individuality.

The colourful fibreglass artwork, known as the ‘Spirit of Energy’, occupies approximately 250m2, making them one of John Piper’s largest single commissions – thought to be second only to his Baptistry window at Coventry Cathedral.  Perhaps best known for his paintings, Piper also worked with skilled craftspeople to fulfil many public and applied arts commissions.

Piper collaborated with Gillespie and Manzaroli Associates to produce the panels between 1961-62, they have the hand-made appearance of paper cut-outs but made to an architectural scale in industrial materials. This commission was also believed to be Piper’s first time working with fibreglass.

The panels are attached to the former exhibition block, which is now listed as Grade II (the apartment building is unlisted) a two-storey white-rendered building, that originally housed conference rooms and an exhibition space raised on slim columns above an entrance hall and showroom beneath, which now serves as an impressive lobby entrance to the Piper residential building. They’re the only known example of a permanent outdoor artwork in John Piper’s large and diverse body of work, and the building is integral to the way in which the artwork is encountered and perceived.

The Piper mural fits into a wider trend of outdoor art at the time.The years following the Second World War saw a rise in the creation of public art, designed to bring public spaces back to life as the country began to repair its shattered towns and cities.

This is a rare and innovative installation, expressing many of the motifs that the artist favoured in his larger works, while skilfully using colour to create a contrasting sequence of images as they progress around the building. They make an effervescent and uplifting contribution to the streetscape.”

- Catherine Croft, Director, the Twentieth Century Society

“From painter and official war artist to printmaker and stained glass designer, John Piper was a major figure in 20th century British art with an extraordinary breadth of work. These panels exemplify Piper’s continual experimentation with new materials and are a joyful, much-loved local landmark that meets the high bar for listing.”

- Tom Foxall, Historic England

Living in Fulham

Fulham as a place to live just gets better and better. From excellent schools to local bars and restaurants and largely independent shopping with a Waitrose and a Sainsbury thrown in the mix makes it an ideal place for any profile of resident.

The Piper Building is an easy walk to Imperial Wharf mainline station that connects in with the Underground or to Clapham Junction with frequent trains to Gatwick in under 25 minutes.

There is gated parking for four cars, 24-hour security and concierge, and an on-site Health Club.