Roman Abramovich To Replace Basement Swimming Pool

London basement construction has taken centre stage yet again, with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich having just been granted planning permission to replace his swimming pool as part of his plans to create a mega basement in his mansion in Kensington.

According to the Daily Mail, the oligarch is keen to extend his 16,000 sq/ft basement to an impressive 20,000 sq/ft, a leisure complex that will take the Hornsey Wood reservoir in Finsbury Park and the Guastavino tile vaults found in New York’s City Hall subway station as inspiration. As well as the pool, there will be changing rooms, a sauna and a steam room.

Documents submitted to the local council state: “‘This new construction is proposed as an architecturally significant addition to the original building that will speak to the broader cultural and constructional heritage of the city and its language of brick and tile vaulted subterranean spaces.”

The basement conversion’s roof will be located at least a metre below the surface of the ground to make sure that Abramovich’s newly landscaped south-facing garden will be able to flourish.

If you want to increase the resale value of your property adding a swimming pool would perhaps be advisable. A recent Direct Line Home Insurance study found that that luxury pools are the most highly sought-after feature in expensive homes.

If you’d like to find out more about basement conversions in London, or have any specific questions regarding planning consents, get in touch with us here at The Oxford & London Building Company.