Residence

A lease on a house at Nos.35-37 Calle 24 was taken in about 1920, and extended for a short period in 1932, after which a cheap single-storey house was taken on lease for a few years.

In 1937, the house at 10-50 Calle 87 Chapinero was taken on lease, initially for ten years until 1947. In 1944, when the Post was raised to embassy status, the ambassador wanted to buy a new site and build a better residence. With advice from the Shell representative, a site of nearly 8,000 square metres was bought in 1945 on Calle 87 in Cabrera Norte for £16,000. Designs were drawn up but could not be agreed and the idea fizzled out. So another ten year lease on 10-50 Calle 87 was agreed from 1948, and others later. The site that was unnecessarily bought in 1945 was eventually sold to the National Petroleum Co. in 1957 for about £40,000.

In the early 1970s, the owner gave the British government the opportunity to buy the property, which it did in 1972 for £125,000. It remains the residence. [check]

Offices

Office space, formerly leased, was bought in 1974 on floors 9-11 of a 13 storey office block in the old business centre at Calle 38, No. 13-35. In 1984, the 4^th floor of the newly-built (and earthquake proofed) ten-storey Edificio Propaganda Sancho, Calle 98 No 9-03, was bought for £400k. It was sold in ?1999 for £546k, and the offices moved to their present location[?].

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