Regent Street was created in 1811 by John Nash, arguably Britain’s finest ever town planner, after he was commissioned by the Prince Regent – later George IV – to redesign the centre of a booming London. The Grade II listed façades that line its elegant curve represent some of the most distinguished architecture in the capital.

The £8.5 million project, which started in 2013, comprises the regeneration of the elegant listed building and will include the comprehensive refurbishment of the building’s internal fabric and services, with repairs and cleaning to the existing façades. Once complete, the development will provide a high-quality restaurant and a modernised open plan commercial office space delivered to meet the long term vision of The Crown Estate’s £500 million investment programme in St James’s. The project will modernise the dated office space and improve energy efficiency that is required to meet the needs of today’s occupiers. The works will see the building’s interior stripped out and refurbished to a high standard while respecting the built heritage.

In common with many of its neighbours, 1-3 Regent Street St James’s has an interesting history. Formerly known as British Columbia House, it was constructed in 1914 to house the office of the Agent-General of the Province of British Columbia to promote trade and links between the Canadian provinces and the British Empire. In this spirit, key components of the building were shipped