The Wilderly represents the final component of a new residential park development in Elephant Park; Merlin Place brings a state-of-the-art new lab building to the Cambridge Cluster.
Design, development and construction teams recently celebrated the topping out of The Wilderly, a major milestone in the ongoing regeneration of London’s Elephant Park. Designed by HOK, constructed by Bovis and developed by Lendlease in partnership with Japanese developer Daiwa House, The Wilderly features a 25-storey tower and an 11-storey mansion block that will serve as the focal point of the largest new park development in Central London in over 70 years. The Wilderly, with its 259 residences, is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The development includes a new two-acre park linking the Elephant & Castle train station with the new wider neighbourhood. Acting as a gateway to the park from the east, The Wilderly enhances connectivity to nearby Victory Community Park, a local primary school and the surrounding community. It aligns with the park’s axis, improving wayfinding and providing an elegant backdrop framed by the existing large London plane trees.
The Wilderly mansion house and tower as viewed from Heygate Street.
“Inspired by the local area and the park, we designed the buildings to have a simple, timeless quality,” said David Weatherhead, RIBA, HOK’s London design principal. “We selected a robust yet refined material palette and utilised modern construction methods to maximise quality while minimising waste. Each building has its own character and identity, benefiting from maximised daylight and stunning views across London.”
The Wilderly’s design arranges residential units around a central core, achieving 80% efficiency. Amenity spaces leverage the building’s central location and adjacency to the park. A ground-floor gym opens into an active amenity garden, while much of the building’s other frontage faces an outdoor children’s play area. A sky garden on the 24th floor offers breathtaking views of the London skyline. A similar roof garden atop the mansion block provides views onto the park and surrounding neighbourhood. Various ground floor and rooftop landscape spaces encourage social interaction. Other amenities include co-working spaces, residential lounges and a gallery.
“The Wilderly represents the next chapter in the delivery of Elephant Park and will provide high-quality living in one of London’s most dynamic neighbourhoods,” said James Pearce, managing director at Bovis. “Through strong partnerships and a shared commitment to excellence, we have delivered a project that sets a new benchmark for sustainable urban regeneration.”
Angela Brennan, executive development director at Lendlease, said: “This is a significant moment for everyone who’s been part of this journey. The Wilderly reflects the strength of our partnership with Daiwa House and our shared commitment to delivering well-designed, sustainable homes.”
Merlin Place in the Cambridge Cluster.
June also saw Kadans Science Partner, a leading investor in knowledge-intensive ecosystems and real estate, complete the topping out of its new purpose-built laboratory facilities in Cambridge.
On track to open in late 2026, the six-storey Merlin Place will feature containment level 2 (CL2) wet labs, dry labs, computational space, meeting rooms and office space, alongside a public café and social spaces.
Merlin Place is situated between the world-renowned Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge Business Park, and St John’s Innovation Park. The building can accommodate start-ups, researchers and established companies and includes a range of flexible lab, office and social spaces—including a dramatic penthouse suite and balcony for meetings and events.
“We are proud of the rapid progress we have made at Merlin Place, further extending our footprint in the Cambridge Cluster,” said James Sheppard, executive director of Kadans Science Partner. “Topping out at the new site represents a significant milestone in our mission to support accelerating innovation in the health, life science and technology sectors in Cambridge.”
SDC Builders is leading the construction of the 12,917-sq.-m. (139,000-sq.-ft.) facility with HOK serving as lead designer.
“With its innovative lab design, robust technology and collaborative work environments, Merlin Place will further establish Cambridge as a global hub for life science research,” said Brian Connolly, regional leader of Science + Technology for HOK’s London studio. “We are excited by its progress to date and look forward to it opening its doors next year.”