Mansion House is the name of this place for sale in London's Cowley Street. Yet 'house' somehow doesn't quite seem the right word for this extraordinary building in the heart of Westminster.
Yet despite it's sweeping 50' facade, palatial features and location a stone's throw from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, 'house' is exactly what it is – albeit a rather pricey one, given that it's for sale via Savills and Knight Frank at £36 million.
It wasn't always a house, however. The building was designed by Horace Field and completed in 1905, purpose-built as the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway company – a firm which, at the time, had annual revenue equivalent to £1bn in today's money.
Latterly it was used as the London HQ of the Liberal Democrats, but the place was recently sold to a developer who has converted it into a truly palatial residence on one of central London's prettiest streets.
That developer – Faisal Saigol – calls it "an unrivalled palatial home in prime central London" and claims it has the "perfect fusion of grandeur, prestige and contemporary living."
Based on the pictures on this page, it's hard not to agree with that assessment. All the things you'd expect of a grand city house – seven bedrooms, grand dining room that can accommodate 16 people, a lift, a roof terrace and so on – are bolstered by delightful surprises that you would not.
A walk-in wine room, for example, and an Italian garden beyond the pair of terraces. There is even a 10m pool plus jacuzzi, sauna and steam room – as pictured at the top of the page.
The attention to detail in the work carried out on this Grade II-listed building is astonishing. A host of magnificent period features have been retained and immaculately restored by master craftsmen who have worked at some of Britain's greatest buildings.
Take the goldwork on the ceilings and cupola in the main hall, for example: the artisans who worked on it have also carried out work at Windsor Castle, the Royal Academy and the Palace of Westminster.
"There are only a handful of homes across central London which can boast such a grand facade and this scale of accommodation," says Charles Lloyd of Savills.
"The views of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey from the roof terrace remind you that you are just moments away from the city’s seat of power."
Alastair Nicholson of Knight Frank is similarly effusive, calling the work done "exquisite" and praising the "seamless blend of historic detailing and modern amenities on a grand scale."
Mansion House is for sale via Savills and Knight Frank at £36,000,000.
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Credit: Grosvenor Square (Pic: Alamy)
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