For decades a sculpted golden eagle loomed over London’s Mayfair as the embodiment of US diplomatic might. It still presides over Grosvenor Square – but now as the gilded emblem of the UK capital’s newest luxury hotel.

The brutalist landmark that once served as the US embassy was unveiled in 1960 by Finnish-American industrial designer Eero Saarinen. Its chequerboard stone windows made a disruptive statement amid the Georgian residences that lined the square. Long rumoured to contain a CIA office, it carried all the intrigue of a Cold War stronghold. The sculpted eagle, whose wings span 11 metres, was created in Brooklyn by Theodore Roszak, who cast it from aluminium sourced from B-52 bombers once deployed as a deterrent against the Soviet Union. The hotel group Rosewood won the coveted redevelopment opportunity in 2017, commissioning David Chipperfield Architects to transform the site. With 30 new entrances, the former fortress has literally thrown open the doors to a landmark that was once strictly off-limits.

Redeveloping the embassy presented engineering challenges: a four-storey excavation, delicate heritage preservation and the retention of Saarinen’s striking angular façade. The hotel has almost doubled the footprint of the original embassy. There are 144 houses and suites – each averaging 185 sq m, comparable to a large Mayfair flat. The Eagle Bar on the seventh floor fosters Manhattan-style rooftop culture. Parisian designer Joseph Dirand has layered art deco detailing with mid-century glamour in the interiors. The dining offering is immense, with the first European outpost of New York’s Carbone, alongside the hotly anticipated revival of London institution Le Caprice.

As for the eagle, it was so synonymous with the US embassy that the plan was to relocate it to its new site. But when Saarinen’s building achieved Grade II status in 2009, the sculpture was legally bound to its original perch. So the formidable bird continues to preside over Grosvenor Square, watching on.
rosewoodhotels.com