Luton Hoo

Luton Hoo is a Grade I listed building designed by Robert Adam for the Earl of Bute in the 1760s, likely completed by Robert Smirke. The building was extensively altered in 1843 and underwent significant remodeling in 1903 by Mewes for Sir Julius Wernher, a South African diamond merchant of German descent. Wernher and his wife, Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz, were passionate art collectors, with much of their collection now displayed at Ranger’s House in Greenwich.

The house is constructed of ashlar stone. The entrance front, likely designed by Smirke, features a hexastyle Ionic portico and full-height angle bows. In the center of the four bay recesses on either side of the portico, there is a darker stone feature consisting of four Doric pilasters, one storey high, topped with a frieze. The house has two storeys on the west and east fronts, while the north and south sides rise to three storeys. The north side showcases giant columns supporting an entablature, while the south face features two slender Greek columns designed by Adam. The remainder of the building reflects Edwardian style.

Inside, the chapel was built in Byzantine style by G.E. Street in 1875, and there is a fine oval staircase hall designed by Mewes.