The royal treatment London’s only royal crescent has been revived to its former glory by Amazon Property. Developer Chris Lanitis explains why fusing regency architecture with the best in contemporary interior design and lateral living has made The Park Crescent such a unique prospect
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here aren’t many people who can boast a royal address, unless of course you’re lucky enough to call The Park Crescent home. One of just two royal crescents in the UK, The Park Crescent dates back to 1811 when it was designed by architect John Nash as part of a master plan for a royal residence, complete with a circus of grand townhouses fit for the Prince Regent (who later became King George IV). The striking, stucco-fronted crescent has been home to many notable residents over the years, from Lord Joseph Lister, the pioneer of antiseptic surgery, to Count Joseph-Napoleon Bonaparte, brother of French Emperor Napoleon. After sustaining substantial bomb damage during the Blitz, the John Nash facade was eventually restored in the 1960s, although by this time the crescent’s popularity as a residential address had declined and many of the buildings were converted into offices. Chris Lanitis, director of Amazon Property, has been on a mission to restore the royal crescent back to its intended role as domestic dwellings since 2013. The first stage in his painstaking restoration process was unveiled last month, with an art-themed launch party held at the development’s previously unseen flagship show residence, to coincide with Frieze Week. The lavish apartments have been designed to provide the best in lateral living, with generous ceiling heights, huge wall space for accommodating precious art collections, double or triple volume reception rooms overlooking Regent’s Park and countless bespoke features. But it’s not just the period facade and contemporary-classic design fusion that makes The Park Crescent such a sought after address. “In all my years as a property developer, I don’t know of any schemes that offer such exceptional outside space,” Lanitis says. “Residents have access to eight acres of pristine private gardens, together with tennis courts, croquet facilities, a children’s play area and sweeping lawns originally designed by Nash to
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: HAMISH BROWN, CHRISTIAN LOCK-NECREWS AND CHRIS LANITIS; PHOTO CREDIT: SAREL JANSEN