Get Views of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey From a Mansion-Sized London Penthouse

Location: Westminster, London

Price: £35 million (US$43.75 million)

Known as the Astor, this palatial duplex apartment is one of five penthouses in a landmark 1920s building on the banks of the River Thames in the historic Westminster section of central London.

The nearly 10,000-square-foot penthouse on the eighth and ninth floors at 9 Millbank has just emerged from a two-year restoration, with new interiors designed by Goddard Littlefair. The penthouse is being sold furnished.

“The Astor is the biggest, the most expensive and most prestigious” of the penthouses, said listing agent Rubens Brotto, of Nest Seekers International. “Everything has been restored from the original. The whole building was restored.”

“It’s very quiet in the apartment,” he said. “It feels like you’re in a majestic country house in the middle of London.”

When it was completed in 1929, 9 Millbank was known as Imperial Chemical House, built for Imperial Chemical Industries, which was for many years the largest manufacturer in Britain. The granite and stone structure, now known as Millbank Residences, has an official Grade II listing that marks it as a building of architectural significance, Brotto said. 

One of the highlights of the apartment is a 1,184-square-foot rooftop terrace with views of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

“You have good open views of the city and you can see down the River Thames,” Brotto said.

Downstairs, the ballroom-sized reception room features multiple living and dining spaces, herringbone parquet flooring, a decorative fireplace and a grand piano. It retains its original arched ceilings, gilded domes, decorative plasterwork and hand-cut oak paneling. An elegant curved staircase leads up to one of two mezzanines. 

The residence has a new modern kitchen with an island and a raised eating area by a window. There are three en-suite bedrooms along with a guest apartment that offers two en-suite bedrooms and a kitchen. The primary bedroom suite has two bathrooms, each with a walk-in shower and tub.

The residence also has a library/office, a service kitchen, a media room, and a bar and games room.

Stats 

The 9,717-square-foot home has five bedrooms and six full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. There is also a 1,184-square-foot roof terrace.

Amenities

Building amenities include a pool and spa, a gym, a cinema room, concierge services, a boardroom and a landscaped inner courtyard. The penthouse comes with two allocated parking spaces.

Neighborhood Notes 

Westminster is home to such iconic institutions as the Tate Britain art gallery, the Houses of Parliament and the Chelsea College of Art and Design. 

Agent: Rubens Brotto, Nest Seekers International