{"id":177002,"date":"2025-06-12T00:14:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/177002\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T00:14:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T00:14:11","slug":"this-10-1m-brutalist-masterpiece-was-built-on-a-cold-war-testing-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/177002\/","title":{"rendered":"This $10.1M Brutalist Masterpiece Was Built on a Cold War Testing Site"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tIn southwest London<\/a>\u2019s Royal Bushy Park, a Cold War-era torpedo testing site has been reimagined as a striking six-bedroom home. Known as Rotunda, the singular residence has hit the market for \u00a37.5 million (about\u00a0$10.1 million<\/a>) and offers more than 10,000 square feet of contemporary living space wrapped around a circular walled garden with a sunken courtyard at its center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tOriginally built by the Admiralty in the 1950s as a 150-foot-diameter water tank used for underwater weapons testing, the structure was later decomissioned and repurposed by the noted British architecture firm Norman & Dawbarn (now part of Capita Architecture), the same team behind the BBC\u2019s question mark-shaped\u00a0Television Centre<\/a>. Their metamorphosis of the testing site preserved the original structure\u2019s curved footprint, while the brutalist-inspired design makes extensive use of glass and aluminum. The distinctive copper roof nods to the site\u2019s original military purpose while deterring spy activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED:<\/strong> A 19th-Century Water Tower in the U.K. Is Now a $3.7 Million Coastal Retreat<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"rotunda<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe renovation preserved the original footprint while introducing glass, aluminum, and copper roof.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSavills<\/p>\n

\n\tThe generous layout spans two floors with three reception rooms, including\u00a0a 120-foot-long open-plan great room,\u00a0along with six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Two metal spiral staircases lead down to a subterranean space large enough to accommodate a swimming pool, gym, or spa, with a certificate of lawful use already in place.<\/p>\n

\n\tWithin the walled garden, the sunken courtyard anchors the home visually and physically, creating an unusual sense of enclosure that feels secure and secluded yet intimately connected to nature. Beyond the garden\u2019s high walls, the property\u2019s 1.3 gated acres offer additional garden space\u2014there\u2019s potential to add a tennis court\u2014and leafy views into the Bushy Park, the second largest of the city\u2019s eight royal parks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: <\/strong>How 8 Defunct Grain Silos in the U.K. Were Transformed Into a $5.7 Million Country Escape<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"rotunda<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tA pair of metal spiral staircases descend to the lower ground level.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSavills<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Savills\u2019 Daniel Killick, who is handling the sale, this is \u201cone of southwest London\u2019s most significant houses,\u201d adding, \u201cIts gate into the park\u2014and private access to the Water Gardens each week\u2014simply add to Rotunda\u2019s special interest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tRotunda is a leasehold property, meaning the land it occupies is owned by the Crown Estate. The park itself spans 1,100 acres and is famed for its formal gardens, wild deer, and close proximity to Hampton Court Palace. \u201cThis is a truly breath-taking property,\u201d Killick says. \u201cYou feel like you\u2019re on the set of a James Bond film, and yet it is a practical family home.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tClick here <\/a>to see more photos of the London home.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"london<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSavills<\/p>\n

\tAuthors<\/p>\n