Eero Saarinen designed only one building in London. Purpose-built in 1960 to house the US Embassy, this midcentury modernist masterpiece—known for its bold geometric facade and crowning golden eagle—overlooks Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. The Grade II listed building has recently reopened with new purpose, transformed by David Chipperfield Architects and ReardonSmith Architects into a world-class hotel: The Chancery Rosewood.
“The brief encouraged the team to go beyond the typical aspirations for a hotel and consider a mix of public functions worthy of this architecturally significant building. Furthermore, the client wished to achieve a building of exceptional sustainability and environmental credibility.”
— ReardonSmith Architects
Reimagining the original structure
Because the existing building was Grade II listed, elements of Saarinen’s design had to be retained. The original facade and the Portland stone window surrounds were repaired and restored. New glazing was installed throughout the structure, improving the thermal and acoustic performance without changing its dramatic external appearance.
The load-bearing concrete diagrid ceiling, which Chipperfield describes as “one of the building’s most unique features,” was restored and extended to support the additional weight of the new building. Aiming to enhance Saarinen’s vision of the space, the updated design removes the partition walls from the ground floor and allows the striking geometric ceiling to be viewed at scale.
“The diagrid ceiling is restored and extended to create a grand, open piano nobile that reaffirms the original intention for the building to appear as a 'palace on the park'.”
— David Chipperfield Architects
Adapting the existing floorplan
The design increased the building’s original area from 25,000 square meters to 48,000 square meters through a range of interventions and additions focused on improving the building’s function as a hotel and its relationship with the city. The reconfigured site houses 144 guest suites, eight restaurants and bars, a wellness centre, art programe and conference facilities.
A new level was added to the building to make room for a penthouse, green roofs and a rooftop bar, and two basement levels were created for the ballroom, subterranean spa and pool and back-of-house services. Internally, the hotel has been organised around a six story atrium that brings light into the building across all floors.
The design also reimagines the building’s outdoor area, removing the external security measures that had been added while it was an embassy, as well as the original sloped concrete landscaping around the base of the building. Now open to the public, the ground floor has a bar, restaurants and retail units that extend the hotel beyond its built confines into Grosvenor Square and its gardens beyond.
Interior design
The interior design of the hotel, including the suites and communal spaces, were designed by French architect Joseph Dirand. The aesthetic is warm and rich. Earthen tones and natural materials—stone, timber and metal—contrasted with different textile finishes. New York studio AvroKO designed three of the hotel’s restaurants.
Material history and energy plan
Materials were chosen to achieve aesthetic continuity with Saarinen’s original vision. Among them: Portland stone and gold anodised aluminium, which are also showcased in the restored golden eagle sculpture by Theodore Rozak. During the three year building process, over 4000 elements were dismantled for cleaning, repairing, and reassembly.
An energy plan that considered design, construction and user requirements was established early in the design process. The plan incorporated sustainably sourced and recycled materials, comprehensive waste management practices, biodiverse green roofs and an innovative water-saving vacuum drainage system. On completion, the project became the first 5-star hotel in the UK to achieve BREAAM outstanding for sustainable development.
