LONDON: The worlds rich will now be able to live in apartments just a few hundred metres away from Britains most secured address - 10 Downing Street.

Indian business conglomerate – the Hinduja Group has decided to enter the real estate business in UK and are turning Britains most iconic building - Winston Churchills Old War Office building into apartments for the rich.

The 600,000 square feet "fort" has more than 1,000 rooms and had escaped largely unscathed even after being bombed eight times during World War II.

Speaking for the first time about his plans on the building, Gopichand Hinduja – Britains second richest man,who now owns it told TOI in an exclusive interview that the apartments will be up for sale at the end of 2018.

He said "the building is a listed heritage structure with tremendous international importance – declarations of war and peace were made from it by Britains most famous wartime leader Winston Churchill who occupied this building for four years. We intend to turn 55% of the building into a super luxurious hotel and the rest of the 45% into residential apartments".

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He added "As an Indian I wanted to leave a legacy and hence bought the building. What is architecturally spectacular is that this 600,000 square feet space was built as one single building. It was designed to be shrouded in secrecy and keep people out. We will keep the character of the building intact but reconstitute the inside to welcome people in. Its like an imposing fort with strong stone façade, just few hundred metres from 10 Downing Street".

The building was used in the filming of, among others, the 'Battle of Britain' and three James Bond films ' Licensed to Kill ', 'A View to a Kill' and 'Octopussy', with M having his London headquarters in the building.

The building was designed in the shape a trapezium with two and a half miles of corridors which compliments the 18,000 square yard of Roman cube mosaic pavement. Floors were constructed to be fireproof.

The heritage building was sold on a 250-year lease arrangement to the Hindujas for an undisclosed sum but is believed to have cost over 100 million pounds.

Declared surplus to requirements, the ministry of defence decided to sell the building - that stands diagonally opposite to prime minister David Camerons official residence in order to invest in " defence priorities".

A few noted occupants of the War Office included Sir Richard Burdon Haldane who served as Minister for War between 1905-1912, Field Marshall Sir John French (Chief of the Imperial General Staff, who held the appointment between 1912-1913), Field Marshall Herbert Horatio Kitchener (the first military Secretary of State for War 1914 – 1916), Winston Churchill – Secretary of State for War (1919-1921), TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Mansfield Smith Cumming who was the first director of the security intelligence service (MI6) and Peter Fleming –brother of Ian James Bond Fleming.