Discovering boutique residential development, The Mansion


Set comfortably between two of London’s most distinguished districts, Mayfair and Marylebone, The Mansion is a set of unique apartments developed by independent developer, Clivedale.


It’s not easy to live within walking distance to everything two of London’s most celebrated districts has to offer, but new, boutique residential development The Mansion manages it. Located opposite Bond Street underground station and tucked behind world-famous department store, Selfridges, The Mansion is a contemporary ‘mansion’ block that is the first foray into the residential market for young Mayfair-based developer, Clivedale.

The Mansion is composed of 23 single and duplex level apartments, with properties ranging from large studio flats to two spectacular duplex level penthouses. Award-winning architects DSDHA were responsible for creating the slick, modern building, which is bold in its design and has a stunning terracotta façade. However, DSDHA were careful to ensure The Mansion still blends in with its historic surroundings.

As well as the large apartments, The Mansion features a 6,500 sq. ft. amenity space that residents can enjoy at their leisure; this includes a 25-metre swimming pool, a fitness studio, a private treatment room, a steam room and a sauna. Residents also have a dedicated 24/7 Mansion Concierge, and have access to a private lounge: a calm, sophisticated space that overlooks the development’s enchanting sunken garden.

“It was a very difficult building to build,” explains Fred Scarlett, Sales and Marketing Director at Clivedale London “We’ve got Bond Street tube station underneath us – [it’s] 25m underground, and we go 22m deep.” Built on an incredibly tight site, Clivedale and DSDHA had to overcome a range of complexities, resulting in the development having an interesting shape. “It’s a trapezoid,” continues Scarlett. “It works really well… we’re trying to create a legacy building.”

With such a difficult scheme, adding a 25m pool would have been an added challenge – so why insist on this feature? Scarlett shrugs; “No one else in Marylebone has one, and it’s a good distance for people who like to train. It’s what our buyers expect, but more than that, it’s something they appreciate. How [The Mansion] performs as a living, breathing building is more important than how it looks in a brochure. We’re trying to set as high a bar as possible.”

Behind The Mansion’s impressive interior design was international architecture and interior design firm, Arney Fender Katsalidis (AFK). Fusing contemporary and traditional materials, the studio has created an elegant scheme, working closely with Clivedale on every aspect. “The development is a play on the Marylebone mansions,” says Earle Arney, Director and MD at AFK. “It’s about materiality, the sequences and the proportions… Right from the very first conversations we knew we wanted something different, with wrought iron and gold, Portland stone, [and] terracotta.”

In both the public spaces and apartments, floor to ceiling windows flood The Mansion with light. However, the corridors and elevators “are purposefully compressed and dark. [That way] you then move into the light and an open space as you enter your apartment. It’s a whole journey,” Arney explains. “Clivedale made very clear that luxury is not just the ‘stuff’ you have – amenities etc – but how it feels. Those beautifully intuitive experiences are really key, and it’s all been choreographed.”

AFK Studio also had to contend with The Mansion’s trapezoid shape; with this in mind, “having movement and flow in the façade was key,” says Arney. “There is a rhythm to the bay windows, you feel like you’re inhabiting the street and it’s a great sense of ownership of the city.”

”One of the things we did right from the very first hand drawing was thinking about how you can use the space,” he continues, discussing the unique apartment layouts. “Drawing the furnishings is absolutely a key part; [you have to] understand how the rooms are configured, and [think] through how potential buyers might live here.”

Interestingly, AFK made the decision not to go with carpeted flooring in The Mansion’s apartments. “[It] was a very bold decision not to have carpeted floors, but having a wooden floor which is actually healthier,” Arney mentions. Instead, each of the apartments have been finished with wide planks of burnt oak flooring. Luxurious white marble can be found in the kitchens and bathrooms, and Arney reveals that the bathrooms also feature “a Japanese ceramic tile. Each one is unique in its colouration, and there’s a sense that as you get closer, there’s more detail.”

While AFK was responsible for many of The Mansion’s interior spaces, for one of the penthouses Clivedale joined forces with internationally renowned furniture brand, Poliform. To launch the collaboration, Clivedale also invited avant-garde Italian art specialists Tornabouri Art to curate an exclusive collection of Blue Chip art, which is being displayed within the penthouse for a limited time.

The result of the partnership is a three-bedroom penthouse apartment where no detail has been overlooked; the duplex level, 2,300 sq. ft. space is encompassed in a sophisticated, timeless style, with measured proportions and minimalistic lines. The Mansion’s penthouse is also a perfect backdrop for showcasing Poliform’s exquisite designer objects – and features over 35 pieces, including the brand’s Day and Night systems.

With The Mansion being Clivedale’s first residential scheme, the collaboration with Poliform also signifies the next step for the independent developer, as Scarlett admits. “We’re a young business – we’re only seven years in,” he says. “What we’re trying to do now is figure out how Clivedale [works] in the ‘finished’ market space… [We want] to give buyers an experience; a reason to see themselves in the space, and imagine living there. Doing that in real life is our next chapter.”

clivedale.com/developments/themansion/








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