For the best part of two centuries, the well-heeled and genteel north London suburb of St John’s Wood echoed to the sound of soldiers on horseback.
Established as barracks in 1812, the area served as home to the Royal Horse Artillery and later The King’s Troop, welcoming visits from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
The King’s Troop conducted its final ceremonial parade down St John’s Wood High Street in 2012 before relocating to Woolwich.
Now, instead of hooves and parade calls, it’s the cries of cranes and construction workers emanating from the 2.2-hectare site as 120 luxury residences are developed.
The National was given a tour of the site, including the first show apartment, priced at £14.895 million, the shell of a penthouse and its original riding school that has been renovated and will make up a sports hall and leisure amenities.
The first homes have been launched to market, with the first occupants due to arrive in 2028.
St John’s Wood Square was conceived by Ananda Krishnan, the Malaysian-born entrepreneur and philanthropist behind the Petronas Towers and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) development, and he acquired the site in 2012. He died in 2024, with the project now being spearheaded by executive chairman, Sir George Iacobescu, and chief executive Gareth Stow, who worked closely with Mr Krishnan for many years.
The team commissioned a YouGov survey of 758 “motivated buyers” from the UAE and Saudi Arabia with an active interest in purchasing UK property to discover the core drivers behind Gulf buyers' choices of luxury property in the UK.
In a nod to the development's military past, they found security was the most important overall property feature for 33 per cent of respondents.
About 29 per cent selected safety as a leading factor when choosing a specific neighbourhood. Security services ranked as the most appealing amenity by a wide margin, at 56 per cent.
The survey also found strong buying intent for London, with 63 per cent actively looking to purchase a property in the city in the next 12 months.
They also considered lifestyle, privacy and connectivity important, with 21 per cent identifying quick access to central London, Mayfair, the West End, and key business districts as a critical consideration.
Wellness, dining, and sporting amenities emerged as lifestyle priorities.
Tom Mann, sales, leasing and marketing director at St John's Wood Square, said security is the “cornerstone of what makes a home” and should be “effective, but unobtrusive”.
Security personnel roam the site, backed up by more than 400 cameras fitted with AI technology designed for behavioural recognition to alert the team of anything out of place.
Access control means only residents and key personnel have access tofloors, whilst the circa 185-kg front doors give a physical sense of security.
“We have an airlock approach for access to the car park, where two sets of gates will only allow entry once the other is closed, and the same goes for residential entrances to the apartment buildings,” Mr Mann said.
“From the 24-hour security team to the Category 3 wired alarms in every home, we have planned both the operational and physical security to be incredibly thorough and integral to the estate."
The research findings “reinforce what we see in the priorities of international buyers”, he said.
“When choosing a home in London, security, privacy and peace of mind are fundamental.”
The development covers apartments, penthouses and townhouses starting at £35.5 million and averaging 3,260 square feet.
Amenities include a wellness centre, 20-metre swimming pool, spa, sports grounds, private dining room, cinema, games room, business suite and children’s play area.
The development has been launched with a three-bedroom show apartment by British designer Portia Fox, who has an established portfolio in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai, spanning high-end private residences and branded developments.
Her projects include AVA at Palm Jumeirah and Regent Residences in Business Bay.
