Transforming Elephant & Castle
Elephant & Castle is changing, but its unique cultural history will be protected too, says Rick de Blaby
Elephant & Castle is named after a coaching inn at a major crossroads, with the first recorded reference in 1765. By the early 20th century it was known as “The Piccadilly Circus of South London”, centred on department store William Tarn and Co.
Having been a target for German bombing raids during the Second World War, Elephant & Castle was rebuilt, with the first covered shopping centre in Europe opening there in 1965. The centre had been painted a garish pink by the time of its demolition in 2021.
Notable Elephant residents have included Charlie Chaplin and Michael Caine and it has been referenced by Virginia Woolf in A Room of One’s Own, and in the video for Dexys Midnight Runners’ Come on Eileen. Even Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night refers to this historic part of London, “In the south suburbs, at the Elephant, is best to lodge”.
London College of Communications, which will be based at the heart of Elephant, even trained advertising guru Charles Saatchi and graphic designer and typographer Neville Brody.
In short, Elephant & Castle has been and continues to be a key feature of London’s rich heritage.
So it’s exciting to report that in a year’s time, Elephant & Castle will be re-invigorated through a new town centre which will transform one of London’s oldest meeting points and shopping destinations.
So what is happening at Elephant & Castle?
Opening in Spring 2026, there will be 485 new homes, including 172 affordable homes, 55 new shops, restaurants and bars, offices, and a new cinema. Our development, The Elephant, will be one of the best connected in London, with 16m passengers already passing through annually, 28 bus routes and Northern Line and overground stations.
We have built a new London underground ticket hall, opening out into the heart of the neighbourhood, where visitors will be greeted by the historic Elephant statue which once sat atop the old shopping centre. The new infrastructure has been enabled for a later extension of the Bakerloo Line to Lewisham via Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate.
A new university campus
In 2027 a new University of the Arts London campus for the London College of Communication will open for 5,000 students, and after that a further 507 homes will be built including 49 new affordable rent and 116 social rent homes. There will also be affordable retail and workspace.
University of the Arts London Archives and Special Collections Centre, spanning the history of the creative arts including the archives of Stanley Kubrick, will open to the public, and at a time when we all too regularly hear news of pub and club closures, we are protecting and adding to London’s important night time economy and entertainment offering.
Through the development, Corsica Studios, an Elephant institution, will be protected and enhanced, and, as part of our plans for the final phase of our Elephant & Castle town centre transformation, we are proposing repurposing part of the existing London College of Communication building into a 27,800+ sq ft cultural venue spread across five floors. This major new space for London will act as a new platform for nurturing local creative talent, providing flexible spaces for arts, performances, and community activities.
As we adjust to the new world order and economic reality, we mustn’t lose sight of the importance of new housing and infrastructure delivery. But in an area of such rich cultural, social and economic heritage that has been disrupted by new development, it is not enough just to build. We must respect and honour that heritage and bring to life the real spirit of the Elephant.
We look forward to welcoming people from London and beyond to meet at The Elephant this time next year.
Rick de Blaby is CEO of Get Living