URBAN LAVISH - The Architecture of Knightsbridge & Belgravia

Knightsbridge, Belgravia, two neighbourhoods synonymous with urban grandeur, exquisite taste and extravagance. Once an unremarkable village and fields, in the first half of the 19th century they exploded into being with Belgravia the instant 'quartier bourgeois' with an upscaled grid of massive Italianate neoclassical villas and terraces that floundered as Victorian architectural fashion later took a decidedly Dutch and Flemish turn. In the past two decades the two districts have evolved again, with new money splashing cash, pimping-up the old and squeezing in ever-more bijou additions. From boutique shops and hotels, lavish living spaces and passing Lamborghinis and Bugattis , this walk traces the making of Knightsbridge and Belgravia from humble origins to their most spectacular buildings and spaces.

A walking tour by The London Ambler - Mike Althorpe