Bridgewater
House
A magnificent Grade I listed building in St. James’s, London
About
Bridgewater House is a Grade I listed building overlooking Green Park in St James’s, London, built between 1847 and 1854 by the architect Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Palace of Westminster. Constructed of Bath stone with a slate roof, the High Renaissance-style interior includes a magnificent marble-lined two-storey hall arcaded on both floors.
History & Restoration
Bridgewater House replaced an earlier building on the site called Berkshire House. Charles II purchased the dwelling in 1668, and by 1700 it had come under the ownership of the Bridgewater family, who enlarged the original building. The third Duke of Bridgewater made further reconstructions in the 1790s, and by 1806 a special gallery had been completed to house his magnificent collection of pictures – including works by Raphael, Titian, Poussin, Rembrandt and da Vinci. In the early 19th century, Bridgewater House became structurally unsound, and the duke’s successor, Lord Francis Egerton (later the first Earl of Ellesmere) turned to Charles Barry to design an even more spectacular setting for his art collection, which ultimately resulted in the building seen today.
Having suffered damage during the war, Bridgewater House was restored and adapted for office use, and in 1981 was purchased by the late Greek shipping magnate Yiannis Latsis, who embarked on an extensive restoration process resulting in the building being reinstated to its former splendour. Among other events, Bridgewater House notably hosted heads of state and prime ministers during the 1990 NATO London Summit and its commercial use continues today.