As one of London’s most luxurious developers, Clivedale London is no stranger to creating elegant and contemporary residential spaces. Its latest development, however, takes steps to go above and beyond the city’s usual ultra-prime residential offering – it also acts as the first set of branded residences for the Dorchester Collection and is fully serviced by 45 Park Lane.
Situated at 4-6 Stanhope Gate, the collection – called Mayfair Park Residences – ranges from one-bedroom apartments “right through to the 12,000-sq-ft penthouse, with its own rooftop pool and 5,000 sq ft of terraces, and a number of townhouses,” says David Laycock, the development director at Clivedale for Mayfair Park Residences. The development also features a 10,000-sq-ft health club that both residents and guests of the neighboring 45 Park Lane can use, including the 20m (65ft) swimming pool, state-of-the-art gym, sauna, steam room and two private treatment rooms.
Previously, the site was occupied by a building that had been constructed in the 1970s but had two Grade II-listed Georgian facades connected to it on Stanhope Gate. “It was like they’d stitched the listed facades on without actually thinking about the design,” says Laycock. “It was a great opportunity for us because we could knock down the ’70s building but preserve the facades.”
The Grade II-listed facades were renovated during the build / ©Clivedale London
The lobby features two statement installations made of bone china leaves / ©Clivedale London
London-based architecture firm PLP Architecture was brought in to design the new building, with Lee Polisano at the helm of the project. It was important to Clivedale London that the development was aware of its environmental impact, recycling where possible even though this is usually a difficult task during demolition. One way the developer overcomes this issue, Laycock says, is by “develop[ing] buildings that have longevity to them. By using robust materials – stonework, for example – they do stand the test of time. We’re [also] interested in modern methods and trying to push the boundaries of what is possible in construction.”
As part of the scheme, Clivedale London and PLP had to find a way to incorporate the listed facades into the scheme in an effort to conserve the heritage and history of these artifacts. The first step in this process was that the facades needed to be refurbished. “They were in a poor state,” explains Stewart Whitelaw, development manager at Clivedale. “We took all the old windows out and refurbished them off-site. From a restoration perspective, it was done well, and all the brickwork and heritage items were retained.”
As a result, the listed facades have been restored to their former glory, allowing the building to complement the rest of Mayfair’s historic and unusual patchwork of architectural styles. Behind the facades, the interior of the eight-story contemporary development also reflects its Mayfair location; the apartments feature statement stone fireplaces, polished oak flooring and coffered ceilings reminiscent of the Georgian period.
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The Health Club lounge / ©Clivedale London
The 20m pool / ©Clivedale London
Each residence is fully serviced by Dorchester Collection, with 45 Park Lane providing a range of five-star services such as housekeeping, 24-hour in-residence dining and grocery shopping. Residents also have access to a 24-hour concierge, secure valet parking and chauffeur service. “The partnership with Dorchester wasn’t there from the very beginning,” Laycock mentions. “However, 45 Park Lane shares a party wall with 6 Stanhope Gate, so there was an obvious connection.”
“Dorchester Collection was really flexible and great to work with,” he continues. With regard to sharing the Health Club with the hotel’s guests, Clivedale London “made a conscious decision that it would be a benefit to share that with the hotel guests. Having activity down there and having [the Health Club] staffed all of the time far outweighed having a completely exclusive offer.”
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Not only is Mayfair Park Residences the first set of branded residences for the Dorchester Collection, but it was the first residential project to feature interiors by the Parisian studio Jouin Manku. The innovative studio has worked across the development, designing everything from the apartments’ base palettes and Health Club interiors to the statement entrance lobby, which features a bespoke Lasvit chandelier and two grand installations comprising 17,000 bone china leaves. “We actually ended up working with one of the last bone china manufacturers in Stoke on Trent in the UK,” Laycock adds.
“Our brief to Jouin Manku was to create apartments that felt comfortable to live in but with really spectacular front-of-house areas that people would want to bring their friends to,” he continues. Though many of the current residents have brought in their own interior teams to dress their apartments with furniture and objects, Whitelaw says Mayfair Park Residences haven’t “had a single buyer rip [the base palette] out yet to put their own interiors on it. There’s been no waste at all. People have embraced it – the design appeals to many and supports a lot of different styles.”
