Henry to rebuild £6m London mansion to make va-va-room for 5,000 gallon fish tank By Chris Hastings Last updated at 11:22 AM on 19th February 2012 Comments (8) Share Thierry Henry has lodged controversial plans to demolish his £5.9 million north London house and replace it with a larger property - incorporating a 40ft high fish tank that will cost £250,000 to build. The former Arsenal striker wants to rebuild his luxury home – which was completed only in 1999 and is described as one of the finest examples of modern architecture in the UK – to accommodate it. Stretching 40ft from the bottom of his house to the very top, it will take 5,500 gallons of water to fill, house 300 fish and cost a staggering £250,000 to build. His proposals detail the extravagant four-storey aquarium. Fish Fan: Thierry Henry, seen here with model Gisele Bundchen, is to splash out £250,000 on a four-storey fish tank at his North London home Henry - Arsenal's all-time top goalscorer - recently ended his second spell at the Emirates before leaving to rejoin MLS side New York Red Bulls. He made seven appearances for the Gunners and scored the winning goals against Leeds in the FA Cup and against Sunderland in the league before bowing out in the 4-0 Champions League drubbing to AC Milan. But his influence on matters in the north of the capital would not seem to have ended with news of the grand plans he has for the property. As well as the vast cost of construction, the 15ft long by 3ft wide tank will set Henry back £12,000 a year to run, including weekly inspections at about £50 an hour. The annual bill for fish food alone would be £2,500. The French footballer – who fronted the 'va-va-voom' TV adverts for car firm Renault – is the latest in a long line of celebrities including Madonna, the Beckhams, Cher and Premier League footballers Stephen Ireland, Joe Hart and Micah Richards, to splash out on opulent fish tanks. Ireland has reportedly spent more than £100,000 on his 13ft aquarium, and is now believed to be planning a shark tank under his kitchen floor. But Henry's super-size version will dwarf them all. Elaborate: The 15ft long by 3ft wide tank will set Henry back £12,000 a year to run, including weekly inspections at about £50 an hour. The annual bill for fish food alone will be £2,500 His aquarium will actually be made up of four separate tanks, one for each storey of the house. Each will be made of Perspex-like material and will give the optical illusion of one giant aquarium – but will be cheaper to clean, run and maintain than a single tank. One industry expert last night said the £12,000-a-year bill for heating, cleaning and lighting the tanks would be just a fraction of the £80,000 it would cost to maintain one huge tank. Each aquarium will require a filtration system to ensure the water stays clean and fresh. Experts say there are 2,000 species of marine life suitable for the tanks, ranging from smaller breeds of shark to clown fish, yellow tangs, blue tangs and angel fish. It has been suggested that the celebrity obsession with aquariums has nothing to do with a fondness for fish. One tank designer, who asked not to be named, said: 'Our client list tends to be male-dominated and they are looking for status symbols and showpieces.' Plans: Henry intends to rebuild his Hampstead home, although the original architect Sir Richard MacCormac is opposed to the demolition The star, who divorced his wife Claire Merry in 2007 and is now dating Bosnian model Andrea Rajacic, is keen to maintain his London base, in Hampstead, to be close to his daughter Tea. Henry's new home will be taller than the existing one and include a bar, a cinema and a swimming pool. Despite spending at least £2 million on rebuild costs, the finished house is likely to be worth at least £10 million. The footballer is keen to highlight the eco-features of the new home, which includes extensive glass panelling to capture natural light and a so-called ‘biodiverse’ roof, which will incorporate plants and trees. But the house’s original architect, Sir Richard MacCormac, is opposed to the proposed demolition. Sir Richard, who also designed the Wellcome wing of the Science Museum, said last night: ‘I don’t think you improve sustainability by demolishing a house which is just 13 years old. ‘It surprises me that someone who can afford to build a new house and who claims to be serious about architecture should not simply build another one elsewhere. ‘I think my original design is well regarded locally and I think a lot of people are going to be upset. ‘The existing house has a very deliberate low-key design to ensure that it would not look out of place in the conservation area.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2103311/Thierry-Henry-fish-tank-Arsenal-striker-plans-rebuild-6m-home.html#ixzz1msaLzROv