8 Eaton Lane in Belgravia is undergoing significant restoration, architecturally masterminded by Studio PDP and spearheaded by CIT. A prominent part of the original Grosvenor Estate, 8 Eaton Lane will complete in late 2024 offering a collection of 42 luxury residences atop seven retail units.
Studio PDP’s approach started by reinstating the iconic Grade II listed façade originally designed in 1863 by Thomas Cundy III. Careful work to restore the impressive front elevation, side wings and roof structure of the full mansion block in line with the original neo-French Renaissance aesthetic is now underway, with a focus on sustainable design principles.
“Our design approach has sought to preserve as much historic detailing as possible. In order to tactfully restore the facade, we kept the first bank of rooms to the front of the building, whilst everything else beyond that has been cleared to make way for the contemporary rear.” says Pedro Roos, Partner at Studio PDP. “It’s about being respectful to the building’s setting and making subtle interventions that don’t detract from the eclectically elegant palette of Belgravia.”
On the ground floor, the existing retail unit entranceways have been upgraded to match the former shop front designs, to create a unified language at street level and along the three primary facades. French-style timber casement windows on the upper floors are planned to be sensitively replaced to complete the look. The fifth-floor is articulated by a renewed mansard roof structure, with existing “oeil du boeuf” windows, alongside pediment roof windows. Studio PDP has completely renewed and upgraded the sixth floor where skylights are being replaced with arched dormer windows to authentically mirror/echo the existing stone-fronted dormers. On the roof, the original chimney stacks have been rendered and restored.
Sustainability has been a constant consideration for Studio PDP and developers CIT throughout the design process although integrating sustainable elements into a Grade II protected ancient structure comes with its challenges as Iain McLellan, Associate at Studio PDP explains. “There’s an extra level of authentic detailing found in these older buildings which in turn generally means a lack of future-proofing. Making heritage buildings sustainable, so that they’ll survive the 21st century and beyond, is as important as preserving their history. The rear façade of the new element will be highly insulated, with conventional brickwork and aluminium windows. Our main sustainability credentials, however, will come from the use of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) that run off the electricity grid, meaning the building is fossil fuel free.”
On completion, the restoration of 8 Eaton Lane will present residents with a very similar offering to when the property was originally built as London’s first serviced apartment building in 1863. The urban, centrally located, serviced residences being expertly created by CIT and Studio PDP offer a fitting final chapter in the building’s long history.
“It was an obvious decision to bring Studio PDP into the fold for this project, following their exceptional work on our Grade II listed, now sold-out, Regent’s Crescent project. Their ability to understand how to transform a heritage building into a best-in-class prime luxury residence really sets them apart and means they were the perfect team to help restore 8 Eaton Lane.” Explains Chris Richmond, Partner at CIT. Set to complete in late 2024, 8 Eaton Lane is an architectural icon that will soon return as one of London’s most sought-after addresses.
