The Buildings of Green Park

Book excerpt: A detailed historical study of the buildings of Mayfair and St James'sShort, accessible and informative anecdotes about buildings and monumentsPhotographs accompanied by black-and-white pictures and period art* The book was written during the Lockdown of 2020, and contains a Foreword by Alain de Botton with reflections on the importance of appreciating our immediate surroundings"This is at one level a book about a part of London and its buildings. At another, it's a book about learning to savour our lives" - Alain de BottonTake a walk around a park trodden by many but known by few. From Lancaster House, venue of famous speeches and summits, to 100 Piccadilly, the stage of an ongoing Soviet-themed reality experience, The Buildings of Green Park captures the unseen history of these well-travelled streets.Green Park boasts a plethora of London landmarks, including Bridgewater House and the Canada Gates. The Buildings of Green Park gives each of these sites the attention they deserve, while also celebrating a multitude of overlooked buildings: those that are passed every day without comment from the guides. Local history, old photographs, paintings and floorplans offer a tantalizing peek into the backstory behind these backdrops. Moving through the winter and into the spring, Andrew Jones's crisp photography captures a London shaped by past, present and hopes for the future.