Former St John’s Wood Studios building to be reimagined as private apartments

A Victorian chapel in St John’s Wood that once provided the backdrop for some of Britain’s most recognisable music videos is to be converted into high-end flats, marking the latest transformation of a building long woven into London’s cultural fabric. Connaught House, constructed in 1841, began as a place of worship before finding a second life as St John’s Wood Studios. Beneath its gothic arches and tall lancet windows, cameras rolled during the 1970s and 80s as Britain’s pop and rock scene consolidated its global reach.

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Queen filmed parts of Radio Ga Ga here at the height of the MTV era; David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s exuberant Dancing in the Street duet also passed through the studio’s cavernous interiors. Elton John was among the artists who used the space during a decade when music videos were fast becoming cultural artefacts in their own right.

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Though largely discreet from the street, the building became a quiet but pivotal address in London’s creative geography — a meeting point of ecclesiastical architecture and pop spectacle.

Now the developer Valouran plans to adapt the structure into five ready-to-occupy apartments. According to project details, historic features of the façade and interior will be retained, preserving the building’s gothic character while introducing contemporary residential layouts. The scheme is aimed at buyers seeking privacy in one of north-west London’s most sought-after districts.

Фото: Valouran

St John’s Wood is itself steeped in cultural associations. The neighbourhood is home to the Abbey Road crossing, immortalised by the Beatles, and to Lord’s Cricket Ground, founded in 1814 and regarded as the spiritual home of cricket. Conversions of historic buildings into private residences remain relatively rare in the area — and the reinvention of Connaught House underscores the steady reconfiguration of London’s creative spaces into prime real estate.

Cover photo: Valouran

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