The development of Elephant and Castle has divided many, with some seeing the changes as a positive, while others see it as being the opposite. Has the area changed for the better or has it lost it’s charm? If you remember what ‘The Elephant’, (as locals refer to it), looked like many years ago, the way it looks like now may come as a shock. The area is a brand new animal but the question is, is it anything like ‘The Elephant’?
Strata SE1 at Elephant and Castle towers over surrounding buildings. One of the earliest and most notable changes to the area, came in the form of the 147-metre tall building. Construction commenced in 2007 and finished in 2010.The new traffic light system which replaced the Elephant and Castle roundabout. The roundabout, was somewhat iconic within the area and easily identifiable to others from an arial shot. Also came into effect in 2010.Beck House at Castle Square. Formerly the Heygate estate, provides a stark contrast from what it used to be. With a personal memory to the old estate, being an extra in the Michael Caine film, Harry Brown. Construction began in 2013 with estimated completion to be 2027.External view of the Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library. With buildings matching the general aesthetic of the area, the library is one of the new buildings which tends to escape the ire detractors. This was open to the public in 2019.Early stages of construction for the new LCC campus. Taking place on the site of the old Elephant and Castle shopping centre, the plans have not been received well by a fair few, Construction is estimated to be complete by 2024.
