Project Focus: Grosvenor Place

Grosvenor Place and the French Renaissance in Britain

Facade of 10-11 Grosvenor Place, London. Source: 4 S Architecture.

We have just submitted our application for Listed Building Consent for the complete refurbishment of a floor in one of the prestigious Grade II listed terraces on Grosvenor Place, dating from 1867-9. These buildings are a remarkable example of the French Renaissance style, and sit opposite Buckingham Palace Gardens.

Design for Queen Victoria’s Dressing Room at St. Cloud, 1855 in French Renaissance Style. Source: Royal Collection Trust.

This style was popular in late Victorian Britain and is a re-interpretation of sixteenth-century architecture in France. It is a whimsical style that borrowed from many others, resulting in an opulent, highly-decorative aesthetic. Queen Victoria is known for having popularised this style in Britain and her Dressing Room at St. Cloud, shown on the left, is a prominent example. Blues and creams were popular colour choices for interiors, while golden leaf and contrasting plasterwork was common on walls and ceilings.

The first French Renaissance building in London is thought to have been the Grosvenor Hotel, built in 1860 beside Victoria Railway Station, the terminus from Paris at the time. Given the Hotel’s proximity to the Grosvenor Place terraces both in time and geographical location, it is more than likely that the architect, Thomas Cundy III, was inspired by it. Like the Grosvenor Hotel, externally the Grosvenor Place terraces have a French-inspired mansard roof shape, fish scale slate tiles, and a repetitive rhythm of arched windows. Internally they both feature arched niches, elaborate plasterwork and a similar black and white marble tile floor pattern in both reception areas as shown in the images below.

Floor detail in reception of 10-11 Grosvenor Place. Source: 4 S Architecture.

Reception at Grosvenor Hotel Hall (currently Clermont Hotel Victoria), London. Source: 4 S Architecture.

Interior of the Grosvenor Hotel Hall (currently known as the Clermont Hotel Victoria), London. Source: 4 S Architecture.

How we work with Heritage Buildings

At 4 S Architecture, our first step when it comes to working with heritage buildings is to understand the DNA of the building. We do this through site visits and rigorous historical and archival research. Our designs are then developed from this detailed understanding of the building’s history, how it has changed and been modified over time, and its materials, form, scale and pattern. Out research at Grosvenor Place for instance, led us to discover an inventory prepared for the Grosvenor Estate in 1977 for one of the adjacent terraces stating that the light switches were ‘oxidised metal’. Although we cannot be certain about whether the same material fittings were present on the floor we are working on, this research provided us with a good direction for new replacements that will sit harmoniously beside existing historic fabric.

At 4 S Architecture, the first step when it comes to designing in heritage buildings is to understand the DNA of the building.

Our design proposals for Grosvenor Place

Our look into the fabric of the building often leads to interesting discoveries, such as the similarities in floor tile pattern between the Grosvenor Place reception area and the Grosvenor Hotel described above. This in turn allow us to create contemporary design interventions which are still aligned with the building’s original character. The black and white marble floor pattern from the reception area for instance is echoed in our design for the floor in the new WCs, but is replicated in smaller format ceramic tiles suited for this more humble location. Blue and gold accents are introduced throughout walls and brassware; while the arches found in the French Renaissance façade are repeated in doors and mirrors. In this way, our proposals both respect and complement the existing features of the building.

Our inquisitive look into the fabric of the building leads to exciting discoveries, which in turn inspires our designs.

On this project our scope of work included preparation of the heritage statement, a detailed assessment of the building’s significance and how our proposals will affect it; as well as the other drawings and documentation required to support the listed building consent application for our client. We will now be liaising with Conservation Officers to secure consent for our client, and then will be working with the main contractor to deliver the proposals correctly and carefully on site - watch this space!

WCs feature black and white ceramic tiles reminiscent of the Grosvenor Hotel Hall and Grosvenor Place Reception. Source: 4 S Architecture.