Eternal Design and Build

Knightsbridge, SW3 2AA

Brompton Square

Working with London’s architectural heritage.

Full-height steel Crittall-style glazing at Brompton Square looking out to the rear courtyard
Location
Knightsbridge, London SW3 2AA
Duration
9 months
Type
Listed / Basement / Extension / Refurbishment
Designation
Grade II listed
Architect
McGuinness Architects
Structural engineer
Gamut Building Solutions

A nine-month transformation of a Grade II listed residence in Knightsbridge, encompassing basement works, a two-storey rear outrigger, lead dormers, a new natural slate roof, heritage-style sash windows and complete internal refurbishment.

What we did

  • Excavation and extension of the existing basement
  • Two-storey rear outrigger extension
  • New natural slate roof with lead dormers
  • Walk-on rooflight over the lower ground floor
  • Replacement timber sash windows to the agreed heritage detail
  • Steel Crittall-style doors to the rear elevation and courtyard
  • Bespoke metal railings and balustrades
  • Refurbishment of the garden outbuilding, clad in timber
  • Complete internal refurbishment throughout
  • New kitchen with stone worktops
  • Four new bathrooms, finished in stone
  • Bespoke fitted joinery to the bedrooms and dressing areas

Structural works

The basement was excavated and extended and a two-storey outrigger constructed to the rear, within the constraints of a listed building on a tight terraced plot. Structural work was carried out to the engineer’s design, with temporary works and sequencing agreed before the existing fabric was opened up.

Building envelope

The roof was recovered in natural slate with new lead dormers, and a walk-on rooflight installed to bring daylight into the plan below. Sash windows were replaced to match the heritage requirements agreed for the property, and bespoke metal railings and steel Crittall-style doors were installed to the rear elevation and courtyard.

Materials and finishes

Internally the house was completely refurbished, with four new bathrooms and a new kitchen finished in stone. Bespoke joinery was fitted throughout the bedrooms, and the retained staircase was worked around rather than replaced. Below ground, the new basement level opens to the lightwell and is top-lit by a rooflight. An existing garden outbuilding was refurbished as part of the works, clad in timber with steel Crittall-style glazing.

Challenges & delivery

A constrained Knightsbridge site

The property is highly constrained, with very limited storage and working space on site and no scope to hold materials or waste for any length of time. Deliveries were called off against the programme rather than stockpiled, and waste was removed from site regularly throughout the works to maintain progress and keep the square usable for neighbours. Sequencing, site organisation and logistics were as significant to delivery as the construction itself.

Eternal carried out the construction works. Heritage and conservation matters were dealt with by the appointed consultants for the project.

Photographs

24 photographs of the finished house. Click one to enlarge.

Steel Crittall-style doors opened onto the rear terrace at Brompton Square
Detail of the steel door ironmongery against horizontal timber cladding at Brompton Square
Refurbished garden outbuilding at Brompton Square, clad in timber with steel Crittall-style glazing
Bespoke kitchen at Brompton Square running the length of the plan, with stone worktops and integrated appliances
Stone kitchen island and brass pendants at Brompton Square
Reception room at Brompton Square with steel doors opening to the rear courtyard
Reception room at Brompton Square with reinstated chimneypiece, cornice and oak flooring
Cast-iron fireplace and restored cornice in a reception room at Brompton Square
Reception room at Brompton Square with new oak flooring, restored cornice and double doors
Upper landing at Brompton Square lit from above by a new rooflight
Retained staircase at Brompton Square with a new internal window borrowing light from the stair
Fitted timber joinery lining the dressing corridor at Brompton Square
Bedroom at Brompton Square with full-height fitted wardrobes and upholstered headboard
Principal bedroom at Brompton Square with a fitted joinery headboard wall and recessed shelf
Bathroom at Brompton Square with a dark stone vanity, freestanding bath and heated towel rail
Bathroom at Brompton Square with a freestanding bath, timber vanity and glazed shower screen
Bathroom at Brompton Square with a freestanding bath and walk-in shower lined in large-format stone
Freestanding bath and brass floor-standing tap beneath a replacement sash window at Brompton Square
Bathroom vanity and round mirror at Brompton Square, beside the retained sash window
Shower room at Brompton Square with a quadrant enclosure and wall-hung vanity
Rear terrace at Brompton Square with bespoke metal balustrade over the basement rooflight
Timber-decked terrace at Brompton Square with new external doors to the house
Rear elevation at Brompton Square showing the balcony, replacement sash windows and timber-clad garden building beyond
Front elevation of the Grade II listed house at Brompton Square, Knightsbridge, with restored sash windows and railings

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