175 AND 176, NEW BOND STREET W1

Nos 175 and 176 New Bond Street are grand jewellers' premises originally built as commercial premises on the site of the Former Clarendon Hotel. The hotel was partially demolished in 1874, and the building was constructed between 1874 and 1883. The facade was refronted between 1883 and 1884 by John Mackland and Theophilus Allen in Italianate Renaissance style. Internal alterations were made by Mewes and Davis between 1922 and 1930, and further refurbishment took place in the 1980s.

The exterior features a richly detailed Italianate-Renaissance elevation in stone faced with a mansard slate roof. The building rises four storeys with a dormered attic and is four windows wide. The ornate polished red granite shop front has gilt Ionic capitals to pilasters and a gilt triglyph frieze, with a pediment enriched with a reclining figure of Pallas Athene holding a shield with her emblem, an owl.

The upper floors are framed by channelling. The first and second floor windows have enriched archivolts grouped and recessed within engaged Corinthian columned loggias, the first floor having bowed balustrades and the second floor straight balustrades. The third floor windows are pedimented. Enriched string courses run across the facade, with a bold crowning entablature. The attic storey features segmental pedimented stone dormers.

Internally, the main staircase may predate the 1883-4 refronting. It is a handsome oak structure with turned balusters, elaborate newel posts with ball finials, strapwork panelling to the underside and dado panelling. The ground floor rear jewellery showroom, formerly the Louis XVI Rooms, was refurbished by Mewes and Davis with full-height panelling with curved corners, panels of swags and a nineteenth-century marble fireplace. The front main display area, also by Mewes and Davis, has a splayed corner with an oval mirror with swags, two round-headed alcoves with fanlights, fluted Ionic columns and panelled rosettes, but retains an earlier plaster cornice with martial achievements. Other ground floor rooms including the boutique were refitted in the 1980s. The first floor board room has circa 1880 features including an elaborate coved plaster cornice, a doorcase with an open pediment topped by an urn with reeded pilasters, another doorcase with a cornice and console brackets with a mirrored door, and a square alcove with Ionic pilasters. The managing director's office has a similar coved plaster cornice, dado panelling and a marble fireplace with a shell firegrate. The secretary's room also has a coved plaster cornice. The second floor retains a cornice of circa 1880 but the upper floors were otherwise refurbished in the 1980s.

The building has been occupied by Cartier since 1909. The firm had occupied other London premises since around 1871 during the Paris Communes. Between June and August 1940, General De Gaulle and the Free French were allocated offices here before the British Government provided them with offices at 4 Carlton Gardens. Important wartime meetings took place in the board room during this period.