‘Classical with a twist’ – that’s how Martin Kemp describes the show flat he’s designed for Ten Trinity Square. ‘It’s a bit of a cliche, but it works. We wanted to reflect the classicism of the building’.

Grade II listed – and formerly the headquarters of the Port of London Authority – the structure is a colossal Beaux Arts design by Sir Edwin Cooper, opened by prime minister David Lloyd George in 1922. It sits in the south-east corner of the City of London and is currently being converted into a 100-room Four Season Hotel and 41 private apartments (starting at £5m) by developer Reignwood.

Design firm HBA was enlisted to do the interior base build for ‘The Residences’ – as they are dubbed – which will be fully serviced by Four Seasons. As well as doors and fixtures, it installed Italian marble, granite and herringbone timber flooring in the apartment, which is set over two storeys on the building’s fourth and fifth floors.

Kemp’s design shows how the base palette can be personalised. ‘Perceive us as the decorator, rather than the interior architect,’ he explains of his studio’s role. Walls in creams and earth tones are complemented by custom-designed rugs, sofas and beds, which reflect the proportions and detailing of the building in their dark wood finishes and bronze touches.

‘The money shot is really the view, which looks spectacular at night,’ Kemp enthuses of the vast reception room overlooking the Tower of London, River Thames and Tower Bridge.

The reception room has been divided into three areas: a formal seating area; an informal lounge furnished with two Kemp-designed, book-matched armchairs with walnut detailing and other vintage pieces that continue the 1920s vibe; and a dining space fitted with a marble and ebony-topped dining table and a 1960s Murano glass chandelier.

Art and sculptures – on loan from several galleries – also dot the three-bedroom apartment, including a Joan Miró objet (artworks can be purchased by would-be-buyers, as well as the furniture). ‘Art tends to be the one thing that buyers collect,’ says Kemp, ‘People like to buy furnished apartments because they can move straight in… no waiting required.’

A sweeping marble staircase – designed by HBA and detailed with a 1920s effect walnut handrail and bronze spindles – connects the lower floor with the three bedrooms, which peel off from the landing.

The apartment offers a taste of life inside the storied building, and its unveiling signifies an important moment for the building’s revival.

Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square will open in December 2016. The hotel is the global group’s second in the capital, and will feature two restaurants, The Rotunda Lounge and a baroque-style bar. Residents of the apartments will also benefit from the hotel’s facilities, including access to The Club, which comes equipped with private dining rooms, a library, a cigar lounge and a Chateau Latour Room.

Apartments are on sale via Strutt and Parker and Christie’s International Real Estate.