CASE STUDY 25
interiors to complement the building design, with frequent nods to the heritage of the building and impressive attention to detail.
LOCATION AND HISTORY
One of the largest garden squares in London, near equally prestigious Mount Street and Bond Street, Grosvenor Square gives immediate access to some of the world’s most desirable streets, boutiques, Michelin-starred restaurants and exclusive private members’ clubs. Originally a popular address among dukes and earls, the square continues to attract an international crowd. Charlie Walsh, sales director at Lodha UK, explained why this site was chosen for the project: “Grosvenor Square is the jewel in the crown of the Grosvenor Estate and the very heart of Mayfair, and the heritage of the square and the building is so important to us. There are only a handful of residences actually on the square, and these very rarely come to market.”
He continued: “Owners of such residences prefer to hand them down to the next generation rather than see them come to the open market. This is the only building to have served as the U.S. Embassy [from 1938-1960] and then the Canadian High Commission, and this rich depth and history is really important for us to maintain.”
This history stretches back to the
eighteenth century, when aristocrat Sir Richard Grosvenor commenced developing Mayfair – constructing Grosvenor Square in 1731. No.1 Grosvenor Square was home to John Adams, appointed US Ambassador in 1785, prior to his becoming the second President of the United States. A young JFK lived there when his father Joseph P. Kennedy was appointed US Ambassador to the UK in the 1930s. Reportedly, No.1 Grosvenor Square is the only building to have served both as the US Embassy and the Canadian High Commission.
DECONSTRUCTION
When the team first arrived at this historic site, the building’s quality had dipped significantly from its grand roots. “The building was in somewhat of a tired state, having been used as offices and an embassy for a number of years, and there- fore required a significant amount of stripping out before works could be undertaken,” said Walsh.
One of the most complicated parts of the planning process was to bring this entire building down, brick by brick, creating a new frame, and then replacing the original bricks back in the right order and sequence – as Walsh puts it, “effectively bringing the old building back to life.” After securing planning permission for
the structure, Lodha UK appointed Mace, one of the UK’s largest construction firms,
ERIC PARRY ARCHITECTS’ DESIGN METICULOUSLY DECONSTRUCTED THE NEO-GEORGIAN FACADE OF THE BUILDING, TO THEN RE-BUILD IT BRICK BY BRICK
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