Mayfair relaunches residential prime with new project in Hertford Street

Mayfair, one of London's most storied neighbourhoods, is experiencing a new phase in its long life. Once the exclusive domain of the aristocracy, many of their stately homes have since been converted into the offices of hedge funds and financial boutiques. Given the centrality of the neighbourhood, between Piccadilly and Oxford Street, it is a magnet for high-end tourists, as evidenced by the transformation of the former American embassy in Grosvenor Square into a five-star hotel, The Chancery Rosewood, opening on 1 September.

The revitalisation of Mayfair, however, is mainly through residential, both with new property projects and the careful restoration of period buildings. According to data from Savills Mayfair is one of London's most successful prime districts, accounting for 12.5% of all property sales above £5m.

An example of this residential renaissance is the new apartment complex at 36 and 37 Hertford Street, built on the site of the first house built in 1618 when sheep were still grazing in the area. The name of the neighbourhood comes from the 'May Fair' that was held in 1686 to raise funds for St James' Hospital.

The new residences on Hertford Street comprise two buildings: number 36 is a Georgian-era building that has been restored while retaining all the 18th-century details, while number 37 is a new construction. The building designed by the BGY architectural firm replaces and commemorates the oldest building in Mayfair, which had been bombed during the Second World War. A commemorative plaque on the façade recalls that here was 'the cottage of 1618 where a shepherd grazed his flock'. The pastures are long gone, but Mayfair residents are just a stone's throw away from Green Park and Hyde Park.

The complex, which takes inspiration from the neighbourhood's Georgian architecture, has 16 one- and two-bedroom flats that blend the new and the old and will be ready in the autumn. Prices start at £1.5 million.