92-96, PORTLAND PLACE W1

These are a group of large, high-quality terraced town houses on Portland Place, dating from 1776 to around 1780. They were built as a speculative development by James Adam and his brothers, along with John Elwes, on a lease for the Portland Estate. The houses are constructed from stock brick with channelled stucco on the ground floors, and have slate roofs. They were originally part of a symmetrical block and are distinguished by their generous proportions and their doorways.

Each house is three windows wide and stands four storeys high, including an added attic storey, with basements below. The broad, semicircular arched doorways are on the right side of each property. They contain double-panelled doors, panelled jambs, and fanlights. The sash windows on the upper floors are recessed and sit under flat, gauged arches; No. 92 has stucco architraves. A plat band finishes the stucco work on the ground floor, and a crowning stucco cornice and blocking course tops the facades. Continuous cast iron balconies in a Gothic pattern are present on the first floor. Cast iron area railings are also a feature.

The interior of No. 92 retains some original Adam features, including delicate plasterwork, marble fireplaces, and a stone geometrical staircase with a cast iron balustrade. The interiors of Nos. 94 and 96 were not inspected.