Townhouse Studios converted into luxury homes

Publish date: 2024-05-15

The London recording studios where some of the biggest names in the music business created their songs have been converted into £2million luxury townhouses. 

Townhouse Studios in London's Shepherd's Bush has been used by some of the biggest stars from the last three decades, including Queen, Coldplay, the Sex Pistols, Robbie Williams - and it was even the place where Elton John recorded Candle In The Wind as a tribute to Princess Diana.

But it closed in 2008 and the building in Goldhawk Road has been largely empty since then. Now, the empty building is set to begin a new life after a multi-million pound project transformed the building into 12 top-of-the-range four-bedroom homes valued at £2.15m each.

The studios were created by Richard Branson for his Virgin record label in 1978 and then bought by EMI in 1992 and the Sanctuary Group in 2002.

Townhouse Studios in London¿s Shepherd¿s Bush was used by some of the biggest stars from the last three decades to record their songs, including Queen, Coldplay and the Sex Pistols. It has now been converted into 12 luxury townhouses (interior pictured) 

Townhouse Studios in London's Shepherd's Bush was used by some of the biggest stars from the last three decades to record their songs, including Queen, Coldplay and the Sex Pistols. It has now been converted into 12 luxury townhouses (interior pictured) 

The first four houses are now up for sale through London estate agent Bective Leslie Marsh with the other eight to go on sale next year when the final bit of building work is completed. This artist's impression shows what the building will look like once it is finished

The first four houses are now up for sale through London estate agent Bective Leslie Marsh with the other eight to go on sale next year when the final bit of building work is completed. This artist's impression shows what the building will look like once it is finished

In that time they played host to bands like Simple Minds, Oasis, Blur, The Jam, Duran Duran, The Killers, Muse and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as singers such as Tom Jones, Sting and Kylie Minogue.

Sir Elton John recorded Candle In The Wind, the fastest selling single of all time, there and the renowned 'Stone Room' was responsible for the famous drums sound on Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight.

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It had been created in an existing building that had previously housed Goldhawk Film Studios and was a sort of 'London residential' with studios, mastering rooms, accommodation, a canteen and recreation rooms all under one roof.

Phil Newell, who was technical director at Virgin when the studios were built, said they spent almost £2million creating the studios and had the best equipment.

The newly converted townhouses take advantage of the building's unusual features - like the high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows

The newly converted townhouses take advantage of the building's unusual features - like the high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows

The studios were created by Richard Branson for his Virgin record label in 1978 and were then bought by EMI and the Sanctuary Group, but were sold in 2008 and left alone. The unusual history means you could be sleeping the same room the Sex Pistols once performed in

The studios were created by Richard Branson for his Virgin record label in 1978 and were then bought by EMI and the Sanctuary Group, but were sold in 2008 and left alone. The unusual history means you could be sleeping the same room the Sex Pistols once performed in

The studios were built in an existing building that had previously housed Goldhawk Film Studios and was a sort of 'London residential' with studios, mastering rooms, accommodation, a canteen and recreation rooms all under one roof

When Richard Branson bought the film studios he spent £2million making it one of the best recording studios - and now it is 12 homes

When Richard Branson bought the film studios he spent £2million making it one of the best recording studios - and now it is 12 homes

The first four houses are now up for sale with the other eight to go on sale next year when the final bit of building work is completed

The first four houses are now up for sale with the other eight to go on sale next year when the final bit of building work is completed

He said: 'My instructions from Richard Branson were to build the best studios on the planet. We had the best of everything, and the first of many things.

'By the time the first two studios and the first disc cutting room had opened, we had spent almost £2million.

'The original two studios were largely designed by Tom Hidley, but later studios were added designed by Sam Toyashima. They were all absolutely state-of-the-art at the time.

'My days as a recording engineer were waning, I was largely working on special projects for the Virgin Holdings company, but I did do one major project there - the production of mixing Mike Oldfield's Exposed album.

'I left Virgin in 1982. In the following months the studio had clients such as Frank Zappa, Queen and Phil Collins, to name but a very few. For a while it was the studio to record in.

'The recording industry as a stand-alone business has all but collapsed now and property prices have inflated out of all proportion so using such buildings as recording studios is no longer viable if they have to pay their way.

But it closed in 2008 and the building in Goldhawk Road has been largely empty since then. Now, the empty building is set to begin a new life after a multi-million pound project transformed the building into 12 top-of-the-range four-bedroom homes valued at £2.15m each

Architectural features have been cleverly used to create interesting elements on each floor with vaulted ceilings, double height atriums and private courtyards, as well as private roof terraces (like this one, pictured) which can be accessed via remotely-operated glass roof lights

Architectural features have been cleverly used to create interesting elements on each floor with vaulted ceilings, double height atriums and private courtyards, as well as private roof terraces (like this one, pictured) which can be accessed via remotely-operated glass roof lights

Perpetuum Development bought the building in June last year for a reported £7.5m and have spent about £8million and 14 months transforming it into 12 four-bedroom mews houses. Some even feature their own private roof terraces (like this one, pictured)

Perpetuum Development bought the building in June last year for a reported £7.5m and have spent about £8million and 14 months transforming it into 12 four-bedroom mews houses. Some even feature their own private roof terraces (like this one, pictured)

'Since 1984 my principal occupation has been as a studio designer, but I doubt that I will ever build anything like the Townhouse again.'

The studio was put up for sale in 2006, relaunched by Sanctuary in 2007 but bought by Universal in June that year and eventually closed and the equipment auctioned off in May 2008.

Perpetuum Development bought the building in June last year for a reported £7.5m and have spent about £8million and 14 months transforming it into 12 four-bedroom mews houses.

Each property has underfloor heating and designer kitchens.

Architectural features have been cleverly used to create interesting elements on each floor with vaulted ceilings, double height atriums and private courtyards, as well as private roof terraces which can be accessed via remotely-operated glass roof lights.

The first four houses are now up for sale through London estate agent Bective Leslie Marsh with the other eight to go on sale next year when the final bit of building work is completed.

Prices start at £2.15million.

The studio's renowned 'Stone Room' (pictured) was responsible for the famous drums sound on Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight

The studio's renowned 'Stone Room' (pictured) was responsible for the famous drums sound on Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight

Before it was converted the studios closed in 2008 and the building in Goldhawk Road has been largely empty since then (pictured before it was bought and done up)

SOME OF THE BIGGEST STARS OF THE LAST THREE DECADES RECORDED ALBUMS AT THE TOWNHOUSE STUDIOS

Adam Ant 'Friend Or Foe'

Asia 'Asia' 

Blur 'The Great Escape' 

Charlatans 'Simpatico'

Coldplay 'X & Y'

Cranberries 'No Need To Argue' 

Cure 'The Head On The Door'

Dark Star 'Twenty Twenty Sound'

Duran Duran 'Astronaut' 

Eric Clapton 'Behind The Sun' 

Feeder 'Swim'

Heaven 17 'The Luxury Gap'

Heaven 17 'Pleasure One'

House Of Love 'Babe Rainbow'

Human League 'Hysteria'

Ian Dury And The Music Students '4000 Weeks Holiday'

Iommi 'Fused'

It's Immaterial 'Lifes Hard Then You Die'

Jam 'Setting Sons'

Jam 'Sound Effects'

James 'Seven' 

Japan 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids'

Jeff Beck 'Who Else!'

Jem 'Finally Woken'

Jim Rafferty 'Solid Logic'

John Armatrading 'Walk Under Ladders'

Joan Armatrading 'Sleight Of Hand'  

 Kaiser Chiefs 'Employment'

Kate Bush 'The Dreaming'

 Killers 'Hot Fuss'

Kirsty Maccoll 'Electric Landlady' 

Mcfly 'Room On The 3rd Floor' 

Muse 'Black Holes And Revelations'

Ozzy Osbourne 'The Ultimate Sin' 

Peter Gabriel 'Peter Gabriel 3'

Phil Collins 'Face Value' and 'Hello, I Must Be Going' 

Placebo 'Black Market Music' and 'Sleeping With Ghosts' 

Pulp 'Different Class' and 'This Is Hardcore'

Queen 'Flash Gordon', 'A Kind Of Magic,' 'Live Magic' and 'The Miracle' 

Robbie Williams 'Intensive Care'

Roger Daltrey 'Can't Wait To See The Movie' 

Sex Pistols 'Filthy Lucre Live'

Simple Minds 'Life In A Day', 'New Gold Dream' and 'Once Upon A Time'

Sinead O'connor 'Universal Mother' 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor 'Read My Lips' 

Sting 'Ten Summoners Tales'

Suede 'A New Morning'

Tom Jones 'Reload' 

Tranvision Vamp 'Velveteen' 

Ub40 'Ub44'

Ub40 'Labour Of Love'

Van Morrison 'Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart', 'Avalon Sunset' and 'Poetic Champions Compose' 

Zutons 'Tired Of Hanging Around'

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