Fresh start

A historic London department store is reborn as a mixed-use space comprising luxury apartments and a Six Senses hotel and spa

- EMMA O'KELLY

‘Anice apartment on its own doesn’t cut it anymore,’ says London-based property developer Alex Michelin. ‘The consumer is so savvy now with social media; everyone sees everything. Property is less-location specific, more lifestyle- driven. You have to place-make, create an environment that says to people: ‘This is how I want to live my life.’

This year, Michelin and his firm friend and like-minded developer Marcus Meijer unveil The Whiteley, where the lucky few will certainly want to live their lives. Founded by draper William Whiteley in 1911, Whiteleys was an opulent emporium that rivalled Selfridges and Liberty. Its majestic internal staircase was modelled on Milan’s La Scala, and its slogan ‘everything from a pin to an elephant’ drew shoppers from all over London. But it failed to keep up with its competitors, and when Michelin and Meijer bought it in 2013, Whiteleys was a tired mall of broken escalators and now-defunct chain stores.

Since then, chilly winds have blown across London, bringing Brexit, lockdowns and a cost of living crisis. But the forward-thinking pair have weathered the storms and created leading communal and residential spaces that people love – think Borough Yards and and Twenty Grosvenor Square by Finchatton (the development company Michelin co-founded 22 years ago before setting up his new venture, Valouran, in 2023 with Matthew Robertson).