A design that has entered the pantheon of greats – Financial Times

Mayfair’s design style dates back to the 18th century, with its beautiful Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian buildings telling an exclusive story of elegance and sophistication. This most prestigious area, with its public gardens, grand facades and heritage buildings, is a timeline of British excellence.

Against this backdrop of architectural splendor, prominent British entrepreneur and philanthropist John Caudwell set out to create a new landmark that would set an unprecedented standard for the 21st century. His plans to transform a desirable part of London’s prestigious center from a disparate collection of buildings fronting South Audley Street, Hill Street and Weverton Street into one grand nine-storey Palladian-style building clad in light Portland stone aim to restore classical rhythm and palatial style. scale of the area. The result is 1 Mayfair: a five-star luxury development comprising 24 main residences, including side apartments, penthouses and townhouses, plus five additional annexes. With a starting price of £35 million, it has already won recognition as London’s most expensive residential building.

“There will never be a residential address like this. This is a true once-in-a-lifetime opportunity created through the unparalleled collaboration of renowned architects, interior designers and artisans.”

The distinguished international team appointed includes award-winning New York architect Robert A. M. Stern, and the interior design of the public spaces is by Juan Pablo Molyneux, a respected classicist whose bold style can be seen in projects ranging from Arabian royal palaces. to private homes in Europe, Asia and America. He, too, found the work on 1 Mayfair highly rewarding.

“In early meetings, I kept hearing the word ‘grand’, meaning not just size, but more specifically quality and design, creating the best housing in Europe, if not the world,” says Molyneux. “Grand design requires beautiful proportions, but I initially had a problem with the ceiling height in the Grand Reception Room. To make it taller, John Caudwell agreed to remove one of the apartments directly above it – it was an expensive decision for him, but it gave me confidence that I was working with the right people. The views of the landscaped gardens are now incredible upon arrival and the feeling is undeniably magnificent.”

From his chateau outside Paris, Molyneux details his work at 1 Mayfair. All materials are custom-made and of a quality that is “rarely seen in public spaces,” he says. These include marble floors at the entrance and elaborate scagliola, marble-like decorative stone moldings that can be delicately painted and assembled into seamless columns. “You see it used at Buckingham Palace and Spencer House,” says Molyneux.

He took inspiration for fabric designs commissioned exclusively by Louis XV from the archives of Prelle in Lyon, one of the world’s oldest silk manufacturers still in operation. Paying homage to English neoclassicism, in the Great Reception Room he placed detailed reproductions of the carved and gilded chairs designed by John Vardy in the mid-18th century for the Palm Room at Spencer House, while the concierge desk was made in 17th-century style. Chinese design with straw marquetry instead of traditional lacquer. In the Rotunda at the entrance on South Audley Street, with walls of scagliola and solemn sculptures on a pedestal, the master trompe l’oeil created a dome with star constellations.

What is the main emotion Molyneux hopes to evoke in residents when 1 Mayfair is completed in spring 2026? “Home,” he says. “This 1 Mayfair Street is their home.”