Whitehall Court

Whitehall Court is a mansion block of flats dating from 1884, designed by Thomas Archer and A. Green. Constructed of Portland stone with slate roofs, the building exhibits an exuberant French Renaissance style, drawing inspiration from the Chateaux de la Loire. It comprises a vast and elaborate design, featuring 8 and 9 storeys over a basement, with additional 1 and 2-storey attics incorporated into a fantastic, pyramidal pavilion roofscape. Two main pavilions face Embankment Gardens, overlooking the river, while four face Whitehall Court, the central one flanked by cupolaed bays. The entrance is marked by three iron and glass canopied doorways. Windows are 2 and 3-light, with pilasters or columns, and those in the main pavilions are recessed within semicircular arched loggias, occasionally extending through two storeys. Elaborate shaped and pedimented gabled dormers with finials rise in tiers against the pavilion roofs, which are topped by finialed cupolas. An elaborate arrangement of ornamental chimney stacks is reminiscent of Chambord. Decorative features include enriched string courses and cornices, along with decorative ironwork balconies and window guards. The interior was fully serviced from its inception, including lifts, and features light wells with stained glass in corridors and landings, as well as mosaic floors. The building’s roofscape makes a significant contribution to the view of Whitehall from St. James's Park.