PROPERTY WATCH
Venetia van Kuffeler views The Conrad at 9 Milbank, an exquisitely designed property just steps away from the corridors of power, with grand river frontage and all the
mod cons of modern, luxury home.
Occasionally, you come across a property that leaves you feeling truly gobsmacked.
With its 30-metre Portland stone colonnade terrace, and four-metre-high windows revealing one of the only residential river views on the north bank between Lambeth and Tower bridges, it’s hard to imagine a more resplendent property than The Conrad at 9 Milbank. Located in the impressive former ICI headquarters, The Conrad is one of five Grade II listed apartments that form The Heritage Collection. Developer St Edward has given this grand neoclassical architecture a new lease of life, presenting a classically British palette of materials and exceptional craftmanship.
Constructed between 1927 and 1929, 9 Millbank was originally known as Imperial Chemical House and the building stood as a physical symbol of its innovation and global influence. Today, on the upper levels of the building its former directors’ offices have been reimagined as a collection of elegant living spaces, expertly articulated by renowned studio design Goddard Littlefair.
On the sixth floor, guests enter The Conrad to a dramatic double height reception room with vast windows overlooking the river flooded with natural light. A bespoke handcrafted spiral staircase leads up to a mezzanine library level, behind which the eaves of the building have been transformed into an atmospheric hideaway featuring a bar and games room perfect for entertaining.
The terrace runs the length of the apartment and is accessible from all the principal rooms, while offering some of the most spectacular riverscape views in the city. Beneath the terrace sits eight giant busts of influential scientists and innovators that help shape the world of modern chemistry, from Alfred Noble, founder of the Noble Peace Prize, to Joseph Priestley, the chemist and theologian who discovered oxygen.
Throughout the apartment’s restoration, St Edward commissioned master artisans to meticulously restore and, in some cases, delicately replicate many of the 1920s features. Intricately cut architraves, ornate decorative ceiling plasterwork and cornicing have all been painstakingly repaired. The building’s original panelling can be seen in the kitchen (kitted out with Gagganau appliances no less) and dining room. Secretaries’ offices and postal messenger rooms have been repurposed as equally impressive bedrooms and bathrooms. In the master bedroom, a unique vaulted ceiling provides quite a sense of grandeur.
Downstairs, the entrance to the building is flanked by two immense twenty-foot doors designed in 1927 by William Bateman Fagan. The stone in the lobby was sourced from Italy from the exact same quarry that the original stone came from in the 1920s. Residents will have access to state-of-the-art amenities including a gym, swimming pool with spa and treatment room, cinema screening room, meeting rooms and 24-hour concierge. Outside, there’s a green space for homeowners to enjoy, including a courtyard garden with water feature. Secure underground parking allows residents direct access to their apartments, ideal for those conscious about privacy and security.
9 Millbank is located at the epicentre of Westminster, and the very heart of historical and political London. The Conrad is an exquisitely designed property that is a special combination of the grand river frontage and historic SW1 location, but with all the mod cons of modern luxury home.
To register your interest for The Heritage Collection at 9 Millbank,
call 020 3468 5332 or visit:
www.9millbank.co.uk
Built with Shorthand