The Whiteley, a luxury redevelopment in Queensway

The former Whiteleys shopping centre in London's Bayswater is the setting for one of the most impressive property redevelopments in Europe, in a £1 billion project to convert the century-old shopping arcade into a high luxury residential, hotel, restaurant and retail complex covering more than 90,000 square metres.

The 110-year-old historic shopping centre has been closed for two years after a prolonged decline following the opening of the famous giant Westfield London shopping centre nearby in 2008.

The former shopping arcade, in one of the most influential areas of the City of London, at the northern end of Queensway and about 5 minutes' walk from Kensington Gardens, has become London's most fashionable development with the commencement of the building development behind the retained and refurbished Queensway and Porchester Gardens frontages.

The development includes 139 one to five-bedroom luxury flats and townhouses, 20 luxury shops and restaurants and 110 hotel rooms in the UK landing of the Six Senses luxury hotel/spa chain.

The project, which involves construction and engineering firm Laing O'Rourke and famed London contractors Lyons & Anoot, is based on an architectural project designed by Norman Foster's architectural practice - Foster and Partners - with a starting price for the homes, complete with spa, pool and exclusive communal workspace, rumored to be in the region of £1.5 million.

The works will respect the iconic façade, central courtyard and dome of the old building which will be restored as well as the majestic and historic interior staircase, which will form the centrepiece of the hotel's ground floor.

URSA's state-of-the-art insulation materials are being used in the refurbishment work. The contractors have already used URSA CAVITY BATT semi-rigid glass wool board treated with water-repellent additives and glass mineral wool for first-class thermal and acoustic insulation.

With a fit-out contract of around £111 million, the 139 luxury homes will occupy a unique space of almost 28,000 square metres and are expected to be completed in 2023.