14 Prince's Gate, London

Fourteen Prince's Gate began its life as two separate Victorian townhouses, built in the late eighteen forties as part of a grand terrace overlooking Hyde Park. The American financier John Pierpont Morgan later purchased both properties and combined them into a single, expansive residence to house his immense private art collection. He commissioned interior structural changes, including the installation of an octagonal hall to replace the original staircase, while the exterior retained the appearance of two distinct homes.