London's best new buildings: once 'gang-ridden' Camden estate among new projects awarded by New London Architecture

The Agar Grove estate earned a reputation as a gang-ridden failure of post-war architecture — a social housing experiment that went badly wrong.

But today Agar Grove has a proud new claim to fame. The first homes built as part of a £97 million revamp of the estate in Camden Town are named London’s best new building project in New London Architecture’s influential New London Awards, presented in association with the Mayor of London to honour the best architectural schemes in the capital.

The Sixties estate is being rebuilt with a mixture of private and shared-ownership flats. As well as being larger than the homes they replace they will be almost carbon neutral, with a predicted 90 per cent reduction in energy bills as a result.

The architects — Mae and Hawkins\Brown — will also reconfigure the estate’s circuitous and threatening network of walkways and alleys, replacing them with friendlier traditional streets and squares.

The winners were chosen by an international panel of architecture, urban design and planning experts.

Other key winning projects include Chobham Manor, one of the new neighbourhoods being created at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.

It scoopes an award sponsored by London Mayor Sadiq Khan for its emphasis on high-quality family homes, set amid green space.

Nearby, just south of Stratford High Street, Sugar House Island is named best masterplan for reuse of a major London site.

Some 1,200 new homes are being built on 26 acres, within a sustainable new waterfront neighbourhood including office space, restaurants, bars and cafés, a new primary school and a hotel.

The awards feature designs for architecture in all fields from hotels to places of worship.

A special “community spirit” award goes to The Granville, a modern take on a community centre in South Kilburn with event space, affordable workspace for start-ups, a children’s centre, a community café and garden.

All shortlisted and winning projects will feature in an exhibition at the New London Architecture Galleries at The Building Centre, London WC1 from 26 July to October (newlondonarchitecture.org).