Hinduja group buys iconic London building
The Hinduja Group has formally acquired the historic 1,100-room Old War Office building in central London, once occupied by Britain's war-time prime minister Winston Churchill, which will now be restored and re-developed into a 5-star hotel and residential apartments. “The heritage building at 57, Whitehall, close to the British Parliament and the Prime Minister's residence, covers 580,000 square feet spread over 7 floors connected by more than three km of corridors,” according to PTI report. At a ceremony, the key of the building was formally handed over to G P Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja group, his brother P P Hinduja, Chairman of the Hinduja Group in Europe and their Spanish partner Juan-Miguel Villar-Mir, Chairman of the Villar-Mir and OHL Group. The building, bought for an undisclosed sum, will be restored and redeveloped into a 5-star hotel and apartments. It will also feature a series of private-function rooms as well as a spa and fitness facility. The building was sold on a 250-year lease arrangement to the companies following a competitive marketing process, the Defence Ministry had said. The Hindujas, Britain's wealthiest people, acquired the building in partnership with Spanish industrial company Obrascon Huarte Lain Desarrollos (OHLD).
Tags : INTERNATIONAL