The Montevetro residential development occupies a site at Battersea Reach, south of the Thames and looking across to Chelsea's Cheyne Walk. The site was formerly occupied by an early 20th-century flour mill, closed during the 1980s. Its context is extremely varied – to the east, high-rise 1960s housing, surviving older terraces and villas and, to the west, the listed 18th-century church of St Mary at the river’s edge. By inflecting the new building, RRP aimed to create variety along the river-walk. The major public gain is the riverside park which has created a continuous route between Wandsworth and Battersea bridges, while also enhancing the setting of St. Mary’s. The scheme consists of five connected blocks which step down to four storeys where it abuts the church, rising to a full 20 storeys on the north-eastern extremity of the site. Lift and staircase towers connect the blocks, giving Montevetro a strongly modelled profile and providing access to all apartments without resort to internal corridors. The western façade of the development is heavily glazed, providing magnificent views over the river, Chelsea and, from upper floors, much of west London. The 103 apartments which range in size from 1, 000 to 2, 500 sq.ft. are all provided with generous balconies overlooking the river. The east façade, animated by the lift towers, has a more solid aesthetic with panels of terracotta cladding. Health and leisure club facilities are provided in a low-rise block adjacent to the street.
