User:Davvike
Mayfair House, London
[edit]
Mayfair House, no. 14 and 15, Carlos Place, Mayfair, in the City of Westminster, was built in 1920-21 by the Holloway Brothers to the designs of Edmund Wimperis and Simpson in a neo-Georgian style with carving by Gilbert Seale and Sons.[1] In the 21st century no.14 was redesigned by Derek Williams[2] and no. 15 by Eric Parry[3] and Annabelle Selldorf.[4] Mayfair House is a landmark corner building of 37,776 sq ft (3509.5 m2).[5] The property has a southerly and easterly aspect over Carlos Place, Mount Street and the Tadao Ando fountain 'Silence'. The building sits in what is widely regarded as the most prime residential and retail location of central Mayfair, beside the Connaught Hotel situated at 16 Carlos Place.[5]
Luxury fashion brand The Row has its flagship London store situated on the ground and lower ground floor of Mayfair House at 15 Carlos Place.[6] The first floor upwards house large luxury lateral rental apartments at 14 Carlos Place.[7][8][9]
History
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Mayfair House and the land on which it is built has a long history.
Carlos Place's history dates back to the 16th century. Specifically, it was part of a hunting ground used by King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon who enjoyed hunting (particularly with a hawk).[10][11]
By 1700, the area had little but fields dotted by the odd cluster of small, narrow houses and taverns. By 1800 a transformation had occurred and fashionable clientele were attracted to the splendid Georgian avenues, parks and squares of Mayfair. In Carlos Place, previously Charles Place, a potter called Josiah Wedgewood opened his showroom.[5]
The Mayfair Village, including Carlos Place, was largely developed and owned by the noble Grosvenor family. From 1885, finishing in 1895, the Grosvenor family commissioned the architect James Front Smith to design the red brick and terracotta Queen Anne revival style houses that defines the area’s architecture today. By the Victorian era Carlos Place was given curving corners into Mount Street.[5]
It was also at this time that the Coburg Hotel (renamed The Connaught in 1917, after Queen Victoria’s son) was rebuilt.[12]
In 1920-21 Mayfair House was built. In 1931 the Duke of Westminster sold the freehold of Mayfair House to Westminster Bank Limited, present day National Westminster Bank (NatWest), for £11,000.[1] Mayfair House remains a rarity as it's freehold remains outside the Grosvenor Estate.[5]
Mayfair was the place to be seen for bohemians and aristocrats. Evelyn Waugh and John Betjeman were part of the scene, as was Coco Chanel, the Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor’s lover, who opened a boutique on nearby Davies Street.[5]
In 2007 Eric Parry architects worked on 15 Carlos Place for Timothy Taylor and Lady Helen Taylor for their new Timothy Taylor Art Gallery.[3]
Between 2016 and 2017, Mayfair House at 14 Carlos Place underwent a large redevelopment and refurbishment. The building was extended at the rear and an extra floor and roof garden were added. Byrne Brothers (who had also worked on the renovation of the Connaught Hotel in 2007) carried out the building works which were designed by Derek Williams architect. The interiors were refurbished and fitted by Derek Williams and Finchatton. The scheme was the recipient of five CEDIA awards in 2018.[5][2]
In 2019 Annabelle Selldorf architects refurbished and redesigned 15 Carlos Place for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's fashion label The Row.[4][6]
Today Mayfair House sits in one of the world's most fashionable and expensive enclaves: comparable adjacent properties have sold at £10,000 per square foot and can reach as high as £15,000 per square foot.[13] This would make Mayfair House more valuable than Dudley House which in 2015 was reported to be worth about $400 million or £300 million.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mount Street and Carlos Place: Mount Street: North Side', Survey of London: volume 40: The Grosvenor Estate in Mayfair, Part 2 (The Buildings) (1980), pp. 321-326. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42158 Date accessed: 17 July 2010.
- ^ a b Byrne Group website, under 'Projects'-Carlos Place
- ^ a b Timothy Taylor Art Gallery, London, e-architect, Adrian Welch, October 25, 2007
- ^ a b The Row opens its first ever London store: here's why you should care, Teo van den Broeke, GQ Magazine, 9 October 2019
- ^ a b c d e f g Mayfair House website, www.mayfairhouselondon.com
- ^ a b High-end and low-key: Olsen twins open The Row store in London, Nick Remsen, Financial Times Newspaper, Sep 27 2019
- ^ Prime numbers, Melisa lawford, Financial Times Newspaper, 14 October 2017
- ^ The best build-to-let properties for billionaires, Zoe Dare Hall, Daily Telegraph, 28 June 2017
- ^ Behind the Schemes: Designing Super prime 'smart homes' for the Mayfair rental market, PrimeResi publication, June 21st, 2019
- ^ Exploring the Timeless Charm of Mayfair: London’s Elegant District, manthan mayfair website, 17 September 2024
- ^ Catherine of Aragon – The Boring One? Claire Ridgeway, Jan 20, 2011
- ^ "A history of The Connaught". cosmopolis.ch. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ Mayfair tipped to become 'world's most expensive address' with new luxury development, The National Newspaper, Gillian Duncan, March 27th, 2024, paragraph 20 and 21
- ^ Sheikh Shack, Vanity Fair Magazine, James Reginato, January 14, 2015