There are few buildings in London that can claim to have been an embassy, a lavish single-family home, an apartment block and had a starring role in a movie. In fact, maybe there’s just one, in Marylebone, and it’s on the market for £19.75 million (US$25.17 million). 

The five-story Georgian townhouse is on the neighborhood’s posh Portland Place, a street well known for its luxurious residences. The broad, leafy street “has a particularly important role in London’s regal history, incorporated back in the 19th century into the royal route from Carlton House to Regent’s Park,” said Gary Hersham, founding director of Beauchamp Estates.

Built sometime between 1772 and 1775, the more than 8,000-square-foot pad has a rich legacy. 

The exterior of the home will be recognizable to fans of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1947 courtroom drama movie “The Paradine Case,” having starred as the home of the character of barrister Anthony Keane.

But perhaps most famously, the property was the Embassy of the Somali Democratic Republic and the London seat of power of Mohamed Siad Barre between the 1960s and the early 1990s.

Barre became president after the 1969 coup d’état that overthrew the Somali Republic, and his time in power was characterized by oppressive dictatorial rule. In 1991, Somalia collapsed into civil war following the downfall of Barre’s regime and the embassy was forced to close. The building was sold and later converted into apartments, before returning to its roots as a single-family residence. 

“This magnificent house has an intriguing backstory,” Hersham said. But “today, thanks to a painstaking refurbishment program, the house has hit its heyday as a luxurious London residence that combines family practicality with every possible luxury.”  

The five-bedroom home has a Portland stone facade with 14 sash windows, and while the exterior remains largely unchanged, the inside now boasts features including an imposing reception hall, a family room, a gym and a treatment room, plus a contemporary kitchen and breakfast room

There’s also a full-floor primary bedroom suite with two dressing rooms and two bathrooms.  

The owner, who couldn’t be reached for comment, paid £4.15 million for the property in 2021, listing records show. 

Source: Mansion Global