Asta House in Fitzrovia Fifties factory conversion brings new luxury apartments to central London Crossrail hotspot

Quirky and colourful Fitzrovia is smartening up and losing its image as Marylebone’s poor relation. Packed with media and design agencies, the area is now attracting bigger corporate-style businesses lured by the prospect of a Crossrail station at Tottenham Court Road.

Meanwhile, new apartment schemes such as Rathbone Place, a former postal depot, are pulling in wealthier buyers.

However, the area has not entirely lost its legendary bohemian spirit. Fitzrovia has always been more raffish than Marylebone.

Once the heart of London’s rag trade, it was also a hub for writers, artists and political activists. Dylan Thomas, a famous past resident, referred to his decadent, heavy-drinking Thirties period in Fitzrovia as “capital punishment”.

About 30 per cent of local residents live in social housing.

“Homes are still cheaper than in Marylebone,” says Simon Bray of estate agent Hudsons, which has unveiled Asta House, a classic wide-windowed Fifties factory converted into 22 apartments across four floors above new street-level commercial premises.

Derwent London, Fitzrovia’s major landowner, has steadily been upgrading the patch between Charlotte Street and the iconic Heal’s furniture store and expanding homewares hub on Tottenham Court Road.

Dual-aspect corner buildings with light and volumetric space are a speciality of this design-led developer, and the company’s latest project is a collaboration with renowned Make Architects.

The building’s entrance lobby sets the “mid-century modern” design theme — simple lines and less-is-more luxury — that runs through the development like a stick of rock.

The lobby has parquet flooring, light-timber panelled walls, leather seating, Italian designer light fittings and a restored green-and-cream terrazzo staircase with elegant metal railings

White-walled apartments have huge Crittall metal-framed windows and internal sliding glazed doors, textured wooden floors, sleek matt-lacquer kitchens with Corian surfaces, plus there is underfloor heating, comfort cooling and superfast Hyperoptic broadband

Prices from £950,000. Call 020 7323 2277 for full details.