The Artisan, a 36-storey residential tower at Berkeley Group's Wandsworth Mills development in south-west London, has reached its full structural height. Wandsworth Council confirmed the topping-out on 9 November 2026, with the building set to provide 172 homes and its first residents expected to move in during 2027.
Concrete-frame specialist Statom Group has delivered the tower's structure for Berkeley's St George division, having begun groundworks in May 2025. The contractor reports achieving a fastest floor cycle of five days during the programme. The milestone was celebrated at roof level by representatives from Berkeley, Wandsworth Council, Statom and the wider project team, as the development moves towards completing its façade, internal construction and building services.
Statom delivers high-rise concrete structure
Statom Group's work at Wandsworth Mills has included groundworks, basement construction, reinforced concrete frames, tower cranes and specialist civil engineering. The contractor's published construction update describes a 115-metre slipformed concrete core with a demanding geometry, including angled walls and several projecting wall sections.
The core required approximately 80 linear metres of bespoke formwork panels and walers, together with two reductions in wall thickness, first from 400mm to 350mm and subsequently to 250mm. Statom also identified the installation of two major tower-crane ties and restricted working space as important considerations during construction.
In its topping-out announcement, Statom described the concrete structure as 35 storeys and said it was the tallest building the company had constructed. Wandsworth Council identifies The Artisan as a 36-storey building, which is also the height stated in the original planning approval. These are the respective descriptions published by the contractor and planning authority.
The achievement follows approximately 18 months of structural and associated construction activity since the contractor began groundworks in May 2025. Topping out confirms that the structure has reached its final height; completion of the building will require further work before residential occupation.
Engineering works beside the River Wandle
Wandsworth Mills occupies approximately 3.4 acres of the former Ram Brewery estate, where new residential construction is being integrated with historic buildings and the River Wandle. Earlier enabling works included replacement of ageing river walls, ground remediation and basement construction, with river protection a particular consideration on the former industrial site.
In May 2025, Statom reported completing the Wandsworth river-wall replacement. The works included a new sheet-piled wall behind the existing structure, a capping beam and raised flood defences. A 120-metre cofferdam enabled the construction of reinforced concrete terracing and intertidal planting while maintaining protection along the watercourse.
The architectural design is by EPR Architects, with Veretec providing delivery architecture for phases two and three. Veretec's project account describes different façade systems across the buildings, including unitised curtain walling on the tower and brick, metal rainscreen and Corten steel elsewhere. The practice also reports undertaking Building Safety Act compliance reviews and redesigning stair cores following changes to fire safety guidance.
389 homes, heritage restoration and a 2027 occupation target
The wider Wandsworth Mills development will provide 389 homes, according to Wandsworth Council's 9 November announcement. The programme includes restored listed Georgian townhouses, improvements to 210 metres of River Wandle frontage and 2,000 sq m of new public realm, alongside new pedestrian routes through the former brewery site.
The housing provision also includes 74 shared ownership homes being delivered in partnership with Wandle Housing Association. Berkeley confirmed the arrangement on 20 May 2026, when it described the development as comprising 383 homes. London Construction Magazine's comparison of that announcement with the council's November statement identifies a difference of six homes between the two published masterplan totals. The comparison does not establish whether a subsequent planning amendment changed the permitted number.
The regeneration includes more than £17.5m in Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions, according to the council. Berkeley is also working with Wandsworth Council's Work Match service to connect local residents with employment, training and construction opportunities arising from the development.
The original Ram Brewery planning permission, reference 2012/5286, was granted on 6 December 2013 and included a 36-storey tower within the wider regeneration. With The Artisan's structural frame now topped out, Wandsworth Council expects the first residents to move into the completed tower during 2027.
| LCM project record: The Artisan, Wandsworth Mills | |
|---|---|
| Location | Former Ram Brewery site, Wandsworth Town, London SW18 |
| Developer | St George, Berkeley Group |
| Construction contractor | Statom Group, reinforced concrete frame, groundworks and civil engineering |
| Design team | EPR Architects, design architect; Veretec, delivery architect |
| Building | 36 storeys, 172 homes |
| Wider development | 389 homes, including 74 shared ownership homes |
| Construction stage | Structural topping-out confirmed, 9 November 2026 |
| Original planning permission | 2012/5286, granted 6 December 2013 |
| Programme | First residents expected in 2027 |
| Primary sources | Wandsworth Council, Berkeley Group, Statom Group and Veretec |
How LCM checked the housing figures
LCM compared Berkeley Group's 20 May 2026 announcement, which recorded 383 homes at Wandsworth Mills, with Wandsworth Council's 9 November 2026 release recording 389. Subtracting the earlier published total from the later figure gives a difference of six homes. The calculation compares the organisations' published development totals and does not establish a change in planning consent.