Earlier this year we saw London's most expensive home at the time sell for £75 million. But now it seems that was nothing, as an apartment in 1 Grosvenor Square just sold for nearly double – a whopping £140 million.
The penthouse apartment was part of the former US Embassy, and houses a full-size Oval Office replica built by the Kennedys, which has been rigorously restored.
The exorbitant price tag makes this easily the most expensive apartment sold in in the UK this year.
The grand residential development has been home to a string of US Ambassadors over the years.
The building was a US embassy from 1938 to 1960, during which time Joseph P. Kennedy served as an ambassador there for two years. He reportedly built the Oval Office replica – an exact replica of the historic West Wing room across the pond – to inspire his son, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., to get into politics. But it turned out that it was his younger brother, John F. Kennedy, who ultimately made it into The White House.
The developer of No. 1 Grosvenor Square, Lodha, opted to keep the faux Oval Office, but ended up relocating it within the main building near the entrance, so that it can be shared by Grosvenor’s other residents.
British architecture firm Eric Parry was brought on to reconstruct the property's façade brick by brick, in order to facilitate higher ceilings.
The Kennedy’s Oval office was also restored and reconstructed by moulding plaster to the original, damaged, wooden replica.
In addition to the Oval Office, the owner will have access to a bevy of other amenities spaces, including a 24-hour concierge, 25m swimming pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium with personal training room, private spa, treatment rooms, library, private cinema and performance venue.While we don't know who the new owner is, according to The Times the anonymous buyer also acquired the two lower apartments at No 1 and has plans to knock them together to create a colossal 15,600 sq ft home.
It's been a surprisingly lucrative year for mega-mansions in London, as an entire John Nash-designed terraced home in London's Regent's Park sold for an eye-watering £185 million this summer.
