Architectural Highlights in Kensington and Chelsea
The following five places - Kensington Palace, Bulgari Hotel and Residences, Holland Green, Michelin House, and Leighton House – are just a few of the many examples of key architecture found in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We at Jeremy Jacob Letting Specialists are passionate about design, architecture, and the full customer experience and invite you to take a closer look at a few places in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea that stand out for their elegance and attraction.
Kensington Palace, South Kensington
Kensington Palace is a Jacobean mansion designed by architect Christopher Wren and originally erected by Sir George Coppin in Kensington as a residence for the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Set in Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace saw improvements multiple times, including with Queen Victoria, who commissioned the Italian Gardens and the Albert Memorial. King William III and Queen Mary II expanded the house, reorienting it towards the west, and adding a three-story pavilion at each corner.
Bulgari Hotel and Residences, Knightbridge
The beautiful Buglari Hotel and Residences located near Harrods, high-end Knightsbridge shopping, and Hyde Park stands out for its unique and elegant contemporary architecture. Designed by renowned architect Antonio Citterio and owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët-Hennessy), the hotel is noted for its luxurious furnishings, elegant silver, and world class spa.
Holland Green, Holland Park
Holland Green is an OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture – Copenhagen, Denmark) designed apartment located next to The Design Museum in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Holland Park. OMA, founded by Rem Koolhaas, is known for public works and provocative cultural projects; however, in this case, part of the profits from the building were used to partially fund The Design Museum. "The building is at 45 degrees from the angle of the predominant direction of the buildings there, so there are funny triangular sites around it,” states Reinier de Graaf, design team leader and architect.
Michelin House, Chelsea
Originally, this building was home to the Michelin Tyre Company headquarters, yet was sold to restauranteur Terence Conran, who opened the restaurant Bibendum (after the Michelin Man aka “Bibendum”). Designed by Michelin employee Francois Espinasse and built near the end of the Art-Nouveau period, the building has a lot of aspects that point towards an Art-Deco style of architecture.
Leighton House, Holland Park
Leighton House is a perfect example of classical style architecture, built out of red Suffolk bricks with Caen Stone framings. The house was built for Frederic Leighton, who used it as both a home and a studio. The design was meant to reflect the palace of La Zisa in Palermo and is extremely ornamental inside – boasting bright Islamic tiles, beautiful mosaics, and a golden dome. Leighton House is one of the most extraordinary Victorian buildings in the country, known as a “Private Palace of Art”, and was designed by Architect George Aitchison.
