Raffles London at The OWO

Whitehall façade of the Old War Office at dusk, now Raffles London at The OWO, its Edwardian Baroque stone front lit warm gold between twin domed corner towers, with an equestrian statue on a plinth in the foreground under a pink sky
Location: London, United KingdomType: HotelYear: 2023Architect: EPR Architects + The Office of Thierry W DespontPhotographer: John Athimaritis
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Raffles London at The OWO by EPR Architects and The Office of Thierry W Despont in London

Raffles London at The OWO is the conversion of the Old War Office on Whitehall in London, the Edwardian Baroque headquarters of the British Army, into a luxury hotel with 120 rooms and suites, 85 private residences and a cluster of restaurants and bars. The architect and lead designer was the London practice EPR Architects, and the hotel interiors were created by the New York studio The Office of Thierry W Despont. After eight years of work for the Hinduja Group, the building opened to the public for the first time on 29 September 2023.

Grand marble staircase of Raffles London at The OWO, a red carpet with black borders rising to a landing where the flights split, alabaster balustrades and arched galleries around a tiered crystal chandelier

The Old War Office, 1906

The Old War Office was designed by the father and son William and Clyde Young and completed in 1906 on part of the site of the Palace of Whitehall, the royal residence of Henry VIII that burned down in 1698. For decades it was the heart of British defence: Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Richard Haldane had offices here, the forerunners of MI5 and MI6 took shape in its rooms, and Ian Fleming drew on its corridors for James Bond. The Grade II* listed building was sold by the government in 2016.

Concierge hall at Raffles London at The OWO, a carved white openwork column on an octagonal base standing on a red patterned rug, before a mahogany cabinet crowned by a clock and walls of white lattice panels

A roof extension and six storeys below ground

EPR Architects, led by director Geoff Hull, worked from the Youngs’ original drawings to plan the conversion. The Portland stone façades were cleaned and repaired, and a three-storey roof extension was set behind a mansard modelled on the original proportions, so that the line between old and new is hard to spot. Below ground the team excavated six storeys, to hold the ballroom, spa, pool and parking, while parts of the façade were carried on temporary beams. A wartime Faraday cage had to be removed along the way. In all the building grew by 31 per cent and gained two and a half miles of corridor and 32 new lifts.

Panelled bedroom suite at Raffles London with a dark timber four-poster bed and plaid throw, a barrel-vaulted white ceiling with a brass chandelier, a marble fireplace and tall arched windows

Thierry Despont’s interiors and the grand staircase

Thierry Despont, the French-born designer known for his work on the centenary restoration of the Statue of Liberty, shaped the overall scheme of the hotel and its 120 rooms and suites. Hundreds of craftspeople restored hand-laid mosaic floors, oak panelling and chandeliers, and the grand staircase was renewed in stone, alabaster and marble around a two-storey chandelier, rising to the balcony from which Churchill addressed his staff. A colonnade floored in black and white marble leads to the concierge hall, where a carved white column and lattice screens stand before a timber cabinet and clock, and the Whitehall Ballroom seats up to 600 guests.

Churchill suite living room, the former Army Council Room, with dark oak panelling and a green damask frieze, tall arched windows, crystal chandeliers, a patterned sofa and tufted leather ottoman before a carved fireplace

The Heritage suites

The most significant rooms are the Heritage suites, made from the offices of the building’s most powerful occupants. The Haldane suite, where MI5 was created, is lined in red damask and furnished with a replica of Churchill’s desk, while the Churchill suite occupies the former Army Council Room, with dark panelling, tall arched windows, green damask and chandeliers recreated from historic photographs. The Raffles Suite nods to the brand’s Singapore roots with painted scenic wall panels, and eight Art Deco corner suites are named after notable women and female spies, among them Vera Atkins of the Special Operations Executive.

Raffles Suite drawing room with scenic painted wall panels, orange velvet armchairs and black lacquered tables, an ornamental plaster ceiling with a chandelier and a carved marble fireplace

Restaurants, bars and the Spy Bar

The public rooms continue the theme. Saison, the all-day restaurant of the chef Mauro Colagreco, fills a former library under a restored glass roof, with lattice-panelled walls, indoor trees and a painted landscape mural. The Guards Bar and Lounge serves a British cocktail menu, and other bars and dining rooms pair oak panelling, marble fireplaces and red or tan leather. Hidden in the basement, in a former interrogation room, the Spy Bar was designed by EPR Architects with the Despont studio as a tribute to espionage and Ian Fleming, with a silver Aston Martin, built specially for the room, displayed above the back bar.

Marble bathroom at Raffles London with a freestanding white bathtub, dark green veined marble walls and floor, brass taps and a towel rail, and a long vanity with illuminated mirrors

Team and credits

The project was developed by the Hinduja Group with Onex Holding and is operated by Raffles, part of Accor. EPR Architects coordinated a team of 37 consultants, including Westminster Development Services as development manager, Elliott Wood on structures, AECOM on building services, Donald Insall Associates as historic advisor and DPA on lighting, while the residences were designed by 1508 London and the Guerlain Spa by Goddard Littlefair. Keltbray, Toureen and Ardmore carried out the construction. The photography is by John Athimaritis.

Raffles London at The OWO gallery

Whitehall façade of the Old War Office at dusk, now Raffles London at The OWO, its Edwardian Baroque stone front lit warm gold between twin domed corner towers, with an equestrian statue on a plinth in the foreground under a pink skyCentral courtyard of The OWO at night, floodlit stone façades rising on three sides around a glass pavilion with a blue patterned canopy, potted olive trees and lanterns along the pavingGrand marble staircase of Raffles London at The OWO, a red carpet with black borders rising to a landing where the flights split, alabaster balustrades and arched galleries around a tiered crystal chandelierColonnaded hall at Raffles London with a black and white chequerboard marble floor, fluted stone columns and an ornate plaster ceiling hung with brass lanterns leading to an arched doorwayConcierge hall at Raffles London at The OWO, a carved white openwork column on an octagonal base standing on a red patterned rug, before a mahogany cabinet crowned by a clock and walls of white lattice panelsWhitehall Ballroom set for a banquet, round tables with white cloths and cream chairs under a coffered ceiling with a large gold and crystal chandelier, and a white stage with the Raffles crestPanelled bedroom suite at Raffles London with a dark timber four-poster bed and plaid throw, a barrel-vaulted white ceiling with a brass chandelier, a marble fireplace and tall arched windowsHaldane heritage suite at Raffles London at The OWO, red damask panels set into oak panelling, a red velvet sofa and ottoman with a backgammon board, a mustard armchair and tall windowsChurchill suite living room, the former Army Council Room, with dark oak panelling and a green damask frieze, tall arched windows, crystal chandeliers, a patterned sofa and tufted leather ottoman before a carved fireplaceRaffles Suite sitting room with a pair of white daybeds facing across a round table, a crystal chandelier under an ornate cornice and hand-painted landscape panels between tall sash windowsRaffles Suite drawing room with scenic painted wall panels, orange velvet armchairs and black lacquered tables, an ornamental plaster ceiling with a chandelier and a carved marble fireplaceArt Deco Atkins corner suite with a curved timber-panelled wall, a round red and cream sunburst rug, a red curved sofa and a dining table before three red-curtained windowsMarble bathroom at Raffles London with a freestanding white bathtub, dark green veined marble walls and floor, brass taps and a towel rail, and a long vanity with illuminated mirrorsLight-filled dining room at Raffles London with tables in white linen and cream chairs, a carved stone fireplace, tall windows with gold curtains and a tiered chandelierSaison restaurant under a restored glass roof, white lattice-panelled walls, tall indoor trees and green velvet chairs around white tables, facing a painted landscape mural in an arched nicheWood-panelled lounge with tan leather button-back banquettes, cream bouclé chairs and dark timber tables on a patterned carpet, centred on a white marble fireplace beneath amber glass chandeliersBar at Raffles London with a curved red leather counter and stools, red banquettes and armchairs, mahogany panelling, a striped red pelmet over the windows and an amber glass chandelierSpy Bar in the basement of Raffles London at The OWO, a silver Aston Martin displayed in a lit recess above a dark bar with a row of burgundy leather stools on brass bases

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