WRITER: Ramsay Short

If real estate is all about location, then surely it doesn’t get better than this. Fit for a king, No.1 Palace Street places you next to the Queen of England and gives you a view over her gardens.

A Chelsea apartment overlooking the Thames; a rooftop penthouse in Covent Garden; a converted modernist duplex in Primrose Hill; a high-rise flat bordering Hyde Park… the frequent international traveller for whom money is no object has plenty of choice when picking out the ultimate London pad.

Views of the river or stunning London parks, vibrant and like-minded neighbours, walking distance to the finest venues in the capital, or indeed close enough to commute any number of reasons (alongside apartment-type itself) might influence your choice.
And then there are the details that might just seal the deal, like the fact that it’s a prestigious historical building, has a pool and gym, and the sine qua non private garage.

There is somewhere – as yet under construction – that ticks all the aforementioned boxes for the ultimate London super nest, and it’s even got a prestigious address to boot: No.1 Palace Street. Yep, you read correctly – that’s Palace Street as in Buckingham Palace. And the thing about it is, well, it’s the only private residence to offer unhindered views across the Queen’s 19-hectare gardens.

The grand Grade II-listed property, which was originally built in 1890 as one of the first London landmark hotels hosting guests of Queen Victoria (before the third wing of Buckingham Palace was built), is being redeveloped by luxury property firm Northacre (who sold a 69 per cent majority stake in 2015 to the Abu Dhabi Financial Group, ADFG) to accommodate 72 state-of-the-art apartments that are due for completion in 2019.

But what makes it perfect for the frequent traveller, as a home away from home, is not the unrivalled view but the location, location, location. Central, close to both the shopping and foodie havens of Kensington, Notting Hill and Chelsea as well as theatre land, Covent Garden and the hip private clubs of Soho, No.1 Palace Street is perfectly situated for getting to the airport without delay – be it Gatwick (a hop, skip and jump from adjacent Victoria Station) or Heathrow (a whizz down the M4). And then there’s the residence itself.

Says Orlando Rodriquez, the architectural Design Director, “We are not only offering an exclusive lifestyle but a beautiful home. Unlike most contemporary developments, each apartment is unique in layout with bespoke interiors. The building’s relationship to Buckingham Palace is reinforced by the discovery of an emblematic design that mirrors the footprint of Buckingham palace. No.1 Palace Street offers the romance of history but with elegant modern finishes; marrying the old with the new.”

It boasts almost 10,000 sqm of facilities including a 6000 sqm ‘haven of wellbeing’ for owners’ personal use with an expansive gym, personal training suites, treatment rooms and a 20-metre pool flooded with natural light overlooking a private garden courtyard square. It’s also got a high-tech cinema room, which can be booked by residents, as well as a library and entertaining suite – as if you weren’t entertained enough.