Citygate House, Pentonville Road, London N1

This bright studio apartment lies on the second storey of Citygate House, a red-brick, interwar-built former factory. Soaring ceilings, exposed brick walls and Crittall-style warehouse windows testify to its early history and have been paired with contemporary interventions that amplify light and volume. Situated between Angel and King’s Cross, Citygate House’s location renders many of central London’s cultural and culinary highlights within walking distance.

The Building

Citygate Place was built in 1937-8 for the Ormond Engineering Company and specialised in the production of screws, radio parts and Bakelite electrical goods. Later, the building was used by a succession of different companies, from the Royal Mail to a photographic archive and British Telecom. In the late 1990s, the factory underwent an extensive redevelopment into residential apartments, respecting the building’s industrial history while creating spaces for modern living

The Tour

Entry to Citygate House is from Pentonville Road. Its communal spaces are well-maintained and have been enlivened by pockets of electric-blue paint. Stairs and a lift ascend to the second floor, where this apartment’s private entrance is sited.

On arrival, a neat corridor guides towards the voluminous rear living and dining space. A large Crittall-style window means that a soothing northerly light fills the entire room, reaching right up to its 3.7-metre-high ceilings. White-painted walls emphasise the room’s bright quality and pair well with exposed brick along one aspect.

A cleverly delineated galley kitchen lies at the rear, concealed behind a wide door when not in use. Waist-height cabinets run along the length of the room and house appliances.

The kitchen sits behind white partitions that stretch to the mezzanine level above. Accessed via a retractable ladder, the space is presently used as a reading nook and lends a substantial amount of storage. The mezzanine extends towards the apartment’s sleeping quarters, where it drops down to carve out a tall bank of ply-laminated wardrobes.

Elevated on a low platform, the sleeping area is at once integrated with, and separate from, the rest of the plan. A second warehouse window floods the space with light and soft carpet runs underfoot, tonally resonating with a mauve-painted wall along one side.

The apartment’s pristine bathroom lies to the left of the entrance hallway and has a bathtub with a frosted screen and an overhead shower fitting. Square white tiles line the walls, continuing the apartment’s minimal and precise feel. Lights set behind a wall-mounted mirrored storage unit emit a warm glow.

Residents of Citygate House have access to unallocated resident parking by arrangement on the private entrance forecourt.

The Area

Pentonville Road is in a wonderfully central location, close to the centres of both Angel and King’s Cross. Exmouth Market is also a short walk away and has popular restaurants like Moro, Ken's and the Quality Chop House. Coal Drops Yard is also within walking distance and has the likes of Lina Stores, Barrafina, Granger & Co. and Dishoom.

To the east of the building, Angel has some brilliant restaurants including Afghan Kitchen and some brilliant pubs - The Old Queen’s Head, Plaquemine Lock and The Earl of Essex, to name a few. Beyond, Islington’s Upper Street has a host of popular places to eat including Ottolenghi and Tofu Vegan. Camden Passage, with its brilliant market, is also a popular street with plenty of places to stop for coffee. Highbury lies beyond Islington, while Clerkenwell is to the south of Pentonville Road.

There are plenty of celebrated galleries and theatres close to the building, including The Almeida in Islington, the Foundling Museum and Corman’s Fields and The British Library.

Angel Underground station (Northern line) is a nine-minute walk from the apartment, while King’s Cross St Pancras (Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines) is a nine-minute walk away.

Tenure: Leasehold / Lease Length: Approx. 100 years remaining / Service Charge: Approx. £3,250 per annum / Ground Rent: Approx. £150 per annum / Council Tax Band: D