Imperial House

Imperial House is a villa, dating from approximately 1826 to 1832, and later adapted for office use. It was designed by Edward Jenkins and constructed with ashlar facing brick, with a concealed roof. The building follows a double-depth plan, featuring a central hall and a service range to the rear; a rear addition from the 1960s is of no particular architectural interest.

The exterior is two storeys high with a basement, presenting three first-floor windows and a single-storey, five-window range to the left. The main range features full-height Doric pilasters with a crowning architrave, frieze, and cornice including a blocking course. A central breakforward supports a ground-floor tetrastyle Ionic porch with its own frieze, architrave, and pediment; steps lead to a six-panel double door with a fanlight above. The tripartite windows have one/one sashes, with the ground-floor windows projecting forward and incorporating pilasters, architraves, friezes, and cornices. First-floor windows have cornices resting on consoles, and a central first-floor window features a one/one sash within a tooled architrave with a console cornice. The range to the left has tall one/one sashes with console cornices, and pilasters that contribute to an architrave, frieze, and cornice with a blocking course.

The interior retains many original features, including an open-well staircase with an iron balustrade featuring a double scroll motif and a wreathed handrail. The hall is distinguished by acanthus modillions and an egg-and-dart frieze. The drawing room to the right has an architrave for dividing doors, embellished cornices with acanthus motifs, a ceiling frieze with a grape motif, and ceiling roses. Marble fireplaces are present. A room to the left contains a ceiling frieze with scroll motifs and a white marble fireplace. The first floor is reported to retain its original features.

Imperial House is part of a notable group of villas along the east side of Lypiatt Road, including Burlington House, Carrick House, Compass House, and Stanmer House. These villas were designed by Jenkins as part of an estate initially laid out for James Fisher, and encompassing Suffolk Square. Historical designs are reportedly held in the Gloucester Record Office. Imperial House adjoins Montpellier House and Suffolk Place.