Pioneer Centre, St Mary's Road, London SE15

This bright two-bedroom apartment lies on the second floor of the Grade II*-listed Pioneer Centre, an art deco building between Peckham and Nunhead. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows draws plenty of light into the central open-plan living space, where contemporary material interventions include a spacious plywood kitchen. The apartment has an allocated private parking space, and access to the incredible array of leisure facilities within the development, including the much-loved swimming pool, tennis courts, bike storage and gym.

The Building

The Pioneer Centre was designed by Sir Owen William, best known as the principal engineer for Wembley Stadium and Birmingham's 'Spaghetti Junction'. Using concrete and steel in the centre's design allowed the architect to realise ambitious, striking shapes. It was designed as the antithesis of corridor-dominated health facilities. Instead, Williams favoured large spans of uninterrupted space, which is beautifully demonstrated by the building's pool set beneath a glazed roof that draws in an astonishing amount of natural light. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Tour

Located on the second floor, the apartment is accessed via stairs. Its private front door opens directly to the open-plan living space and to the dramatic bank of glazing that fills the south-west-facing wall. The windows look out into nearby tree canopies and flood the room - which has been cleverly demarcated into separate yet flexible 'zones' - with natural light.

The kitchen sits at the rear and is formed of plywood units with frosted glass worktops; striking reclaimed Bert and May tiles spread out underfoot. A Bosch oven and electric hob are integrated into the cabinetry and a central island provides plenty of storage space.

With the same wide windows as the living space, the two bedrooms bookend the plan. The principal is to the left; here, bespoke plywood wardrobes and high-level cupboards make clever use of the space surrounding the door to the en suite bathroom. The latter has herringbone-patterned white tiles around its bath and an elegant Savoy basin.

The second bedroom is at the opposite end of the plan, next to a smart walk-in shower room. There is also a laundry cupboard here, as well as a storage space beneath the stairs to the terrace above.

Outdoor Space

Accessed via steps from the living room, the apartment has private access to its own section of the shared roof terrace, though the wider area is not formally divided. From here, the 360-degree views take in the peaceful, uninterrupted vista of the surrounding treetops. The communal areas include the beautifully maintained gated grounds.

The Area

The Pioneer Centre is brilliantly located between Queens Road Peckham and Nunhead. Recent developments along Queens Road continue to contribute to the area, notably Kudu restaurant with it's cocktail bar counterpart beside the Blackbird Bakery under the railway arches, Mama Dough’s pizza restaurant, and several new independent bars. Nunhead Lane has a village-like feel, with a greengrocer, a fishmonger, a deli, a café and a new community centre by AOC architects. Popular local pubs include the Old Nun's Head and Beer Shop.

Nearby Bellenden Road has become a centre for some excellent independent restaurants, bars and shops, including Artusi, The Begging Bowl and Flock and Herd butchers. The Bussey Building, off Rye Lane, hosts an active and varied programme of yoga/dance classes and workshops, along with a residency from the Royal Court Theatre. Peckham Levels hosts street food, bars and cafes, along with live music. The green spaces of Telegraph Hill, with wonderful views over the city, and Peckham Rye Park are a short walk away.

The building is well located for local schools; within walking distance are St Thomas The Apostle (secondary and sixth form), with local primary schools including Edmund Waller, Kender, John Donne, St Mary Magdalene Church of England, and Hollydale.

Queens Road Peckham is the nearest station, just a five-minute walk away, running London Overground services to Shoreditch High Street and Dalston Junction in one direction and Clapham Junction in the other. Connections to the Jubilee line can be reached at Canada Water (10 minutes) and the Northern line at Clapham North, via Clapham High Street (11 minutes). Southern trains run services to London Bridge with a journey time of around 7 minutes. Nunhead station is a seven-minute walk away with connections to Victoria (in 15 minutes) and King’s Cross St Pancras (in 25 minutes).

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: Approx. 101 years remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £3,740 per annum
Ground Rent: Approx. £125 per annum
Council Tax Band: C