Billionaire Sheikh plans London super mansion

A project is underway to overhaul a 20-bedroom Georgian property into the most luxurious privately owned home London

For all the news of the property price slowdown in London and the south east, it seems the topmost echelons of the luxury real estate market are beyond such concerns.

Plans to renovate London's most expensive single residence are underway, which will create a mansion estimated to be worth around £300 million.

The Grade II-listed Georgian property, Forbes House, is owned by the former Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who paid a reputed £150 million for the property when he bought it from the Barclay brothers, Frederick and David, in 2016.

Plans submitted to Westminster Council, which were approved some time ago, show the already-large mansion being renovated into a huge palace with around 50,000 square foot of living space. It is thought that if it ever goes on the market it could attract in the region of £6,000 per square foot.

What is Forbes House?

Built in the early to mid-19^th century as a private home, Forbes House later became the headquarters for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – a role it retained for over 50 years until 2010.

The building’s elegant façade and impressive interior encompasses 20 bedrooms (with an extra five planned), a ballroom and an original double staircase guarded by two marble pillars. It also caught the attention of Alfred Hitchcock who chose it as a film location for The Man Who Knew Too Much.

In 2012, it was revealed that the Barclay brothers had bought Forbes House and they sought appropriate planning permission to return it to a single dwelling home.

The initial renovation was overseen by Waltonwagner, who secured planning with the commencement of basement works, looked after the building and assisted with the onward sale in 2016.

Further plans include turning the property into a six-storey palace by building into basement areas, to include a cinema and spa.

Few would expect anything less from the man who bought up much of London during his time as Prime Minister of Qatar from 2007-2013 (including Harrods and The Shard). Sheikh Hamad even bought an apartment in the Candy Brothers’ exclusive One Hyde Park complex.

In 2016 Sheikh Hamad was revealed as the person who shelled out an enormous £116m for a Picasso painting on sale at Christie’s. Money, it might seem is of no object.

The news does smack of bad timing for Westminster City Council though, who earlier this week announced plans to clamp down on empty super prime buildings and limit the building of new homes to 150sqm.

However, when the latest round of renovations to Forbes House was approved in 2016, it said: “The City Council decided that the proposed works would not harm the character of this building of special architectural or historic interest.”

Photo: Stephen Richards/Creative Commons