Grade II Kensington Roof Gardens reveals latest hospitality venture for popular venue

CKL has appointed a new leasing team to secure a signature hospitality brand for the biggest roof gardens in the UK.

P-THREE and Cushman & Wakefield are acting jointly on the 14,511 sq ft of space, which spans two floors and offers a 0.6-acre garden. CKL is the landlord of Kensington Roof Gardens.

Part of CKL’s wider Kensington Estate, which includes the former Derry & Toms and Barkers department store, P-THREE and Cushman & Wakefield are seeking an operator for the Grade II-listed gardens, restoring the venue to its original ‘sought after’ offering.

Reflecting the surrounding of the context, which is a mix of office, retail and leisure uses, the vision for the Roof Gardens is to create a sunrise to sunset offer, providing an evolving experience to reflect the different types of visitor to Kensington.

Commenting on the appointment of the new team, Thomas Rose, co-founder of P-THREE, said: “Following investment by CKL that has rejuvenated and modernised the space, we are delighted to be bringing Kensington Roof Gardens to the market.

“The character, heritage and location of the space make it perfect for a high quality operator to create something quite unique. With the gardens as an integrated element of the overall experience, this is without doubt one of the best opportunities in Europe for a leisure operator.”

The Roof Gardens were conceived by Trevor Bowen, vice president of Barkers, and designed by Ralph Hancock to crown the former Derry & Toms department store on Kensington High Street.

Opened in 1938 by the Earl of Athlone and his wife, HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, Kensington Roof Gardens played a key role in attracting thousands of visitors to the department store. Over the years, they have played host to celebs and events.