Unique apartments in a former shopping center: how residents live in a mushroom style.

Apartments in a former shopping center caused a furor

According to The Sun: Residents of unusual apartments in an old shopping center in Grays, Essex, claim that their homes resemble the sets of an iconic television show.

Want to live in a shopping center? Apartments in the old shopping center in Grays allow residents to do just that.

Description of the apartments

The abandoned site was converted into 47 colorful apartments over 30 years ago, although most locals were unaware of their existence.

In recent months, these residences have sparked significant interest online due to their similarity to the Netflix hit 'Squid Game,' prompting the editorial office of The Sun to conduct an investigation.

Resident Edinson Alushi, who has lived in one of these unique homes for two years, confirmed that she sees a resemblance between her dwelling and the popular show.

She noted that such apartments are unlike any in her home country of Kosovo.

Edinson, along with her 10-month-old daughter, enjoys taking walks along the River Thames, and she remarked that she feels safe in the old shopping center.

Feedback and opinions from residents

The apartments were converted in 1989, and initially, they looked somewhat different, as recalls local resident Cindy York, who remembers when the Co-op store was renovated over 30 years ago.

“They had tropical trees and all that during the initial renovation,” she said.

Cindy noted that for most current residents, English is a second language, and she rarely sees her neighbors as they often move in the night.

The building manager, Glen Brown, who showed reporters the premises, believes that the unique style of the apartments is no longer in vogue and states that the old shopping center “needs a lot of repairs.”

He also mentioned that all the apartments are privately owned, with most being rented to Eastern European tenants.

Despite low heating costs, Glen remarked that it can be colder inside the old shopping center in winter than outside.

Glen added that he himself wouldn't live in one of these apartments.

Most apartments are one-bedroom, but some larger ones have three rooms.

Each colorful apartment is situated in a strange imitation of an enclosed area, equipped with lanterns and benches.

One of the colorful apartments appeared on the market for £125,000 in January this year. An advertisement for a one-bedroom apartment on the Rightmove platform caught the attention of TikTok user HousingHorrors.

In a viral video that garnered over 640,000 views, the user said: “There’s something really suspicious and weird about all of this, almost like something from Squid Game.”

They added: “It gives off very dystopian vibes.”

One user wrote: “The pastel colors create an atmosphere of an abandoned children's show.”

A representative from the local real estate agency William H Brown noted that when one of the apartments hits the market, it's very hard to sell.

This is despite the fact that the housing is located in the city center and only 30 minutes by train to Fenchurch Street station in Central London.

Compared to the average price of a one-bedroom apartment in Essex at £165,000, the 'Squid Game apartments' receive a “green light,” but the demand for them remains desirable.

This story reflects the trend of repurposing old industrial sites into residential complexes, however, the case of the apartments at the site of the shopping center in Grays has evidently sparked mixed reviews. Despite the uniqueness, residents face factors that may impact their decision to continue living in such a place. It seems that adapting old buildings to meet new societal needs presents both opportunities and challenges for urban planning in the modern world.