Admiralty Arch

Admiralty Arch
Admiralty Arch, seen from The Mall
Location of Admiralty Arch in central London
General information
Status	Grade I listed
Type	Triumphal arch, government building
Architectural style	Neoclassical
Address	The Mall
Town or city	London, SW1
Country	United Kingdom
Current tenants	Prime Investors Capital
Completed	1912; 105 years ago (1912)
Client	King Edward VII
Owner	Prime Investors Capital
Design and construction
Architect	Aston Webb
Main contractor	John Mowlem & Co

Admiralty Arch is a landmark building in London which incorporates an archway providing road and pedestrian access between The Mall, which extends to the southwest, and Trafalgar Square to the northeast. Admiralty Arch, commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria and designed by Aston Webb is now a Grade I listed building. In the past, it served as residence of the First Sea Lord and was used by the Admiralty. Until 2011, the building housed government offices, but in 2012 the government sold a 125-year lease over the building to a property developer (Prime Investors Capital, run by Rafael Serrano) for redevelopment into a luxury hotel, restaurant and apartments.

The arch was designed by Aston Webb, who also designed the Victoria Memorial and the new façade of Buckingham Palace on the other end of the Mall. Admiralty Arch was constructed by John Mowlem & Co and completed in 1912. It adjoins the Old Admiralty Building, hence the name. The building was commissioned by King Edward VII in memory of his mother Queen Victoria, although he did not live to see its completion in 1912.

The Admiralty Arch served as the official residence of the First Sea Lord, including Winston Churchill and the Earl of Mountbatten. It also housed various government offices, initially for the Admiralty.

In 2000, the Cabinet Office moved into offices in the building, while maintaining its headquarters on Whitehall. It was also home to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and the Social Exclusion Task Force. In 2011, as part of the government's austerity programme, the building became vacant and was put up for sale for a reported £75 million. In October 2012, the winning bidder was reported to be Spanish real estate developer Rafael Serrano, who planned to turn the property into a luxury hotel. The property was sold as a 125-year lease. In August 2013, Westminster City Council granted full planning permission for the restoration and conversion of Admiralty Arch into a 100-room hotel, residences and private members' club.