London Photo Gallery - Mayfair Luxury Living

The Grosvenor family started developing the countryside in today's Mayfair in the 1720s with a plan of wide, straight streets with Grosvenor Square at the centre. It was a success thanks to its proximity to royalty and their parks, becoming an upper class residential area. The US Embassy moved to a grand building on the western part of the square in 1960 designed by American architect Eero Saarinen. It consisted of 6 stories above ground and 3 underground to blend in with its neighbours. A memorial to President Franklin D Roosevelt also stands inside the square itself thanks to a land donation from the Duke of Westminster. The embassy has moved to Nine Elms and the building is being renovated by its Qatari owners into a luxury Rosewood Hotel with a design by British architect Sir David Chipperfield. It will house 146 guest rooms and retain the Grade II listed facade. January 2025 July 2025