It might not surprise you to hear that many of the buildings in London’s Mayfair come with some form of interesting history. It was here, after all, that for better or worse the world used to be run. That means that occasionally you read up about properties for sale that once displayed, for example, the Elgin Marbles.
That property is a four-bedroom apartment at 149 Old Park Lane, up for sale with The Family Office, UK Sotheby’s International Realty, for £26.25 million. You might think that’s a little steep for a four-bedroom house, but it does come with 14ft high ceilings.
From the 1760s, a Georgian mansion constructed by the Bruce Family occupied the site, which is why, in the early 1800s, Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, displayed the ‘Elgin Marbles’ there. Thomas intended to turn the property into a private museum for the works of art, but the marbles and their ownership were transferred to the British Museum in 1816.
From 1816 to 1904, the property served as a private palace for members of the British Royal Family, such as Prince William, Duke of Gloucester and Edinbhrugh, Princess Mary, and Prince George, Duke of Cambridge. Following the Duke’s death, the building was replaced by into an Art Nouveau style building designed by Thomas Edward Colcutt and Stanley Hamp, who had designed the Savoy Hotel.
From 1906 until 1971, the building then became the Mayfair Headquarters of Rolls Royce, with a showroom on the ground floor, until its most recent transformation into a fourth floor apartment by the Leconfield Property Group.
Spanning some 5,222sq ft in total, the property retains plenty of the Art Nouveau style from the turn of the 20th century, with beautiful ceiling cornicing, crystal chandeliers, original marble fireplaces and panelled walls. As well it should, for £26.25 million.
The property boasts four bedrooms, tucked away in their own wing, as well as a separate staff flat. The drawing room and dining room can be opened up to create a space for some 100 guests, who can be entertained by professional chefs using their own separate kitchen.
Naturally, No 149 is situated slap bang in the centre of London and, situated on the fourth floor, offers terrific views of Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, Bond Street and Buckingham Palace are all a short walk away.
Credit: Knight Frank
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