Somerset House

In the middle of the 16th century this prime location, bordering the River Thames on one side and the Strand on the other, was the setting for Edward Seymour's splendid Tudor palace. Used during the 17th century as the dower house of successive Queens, it became less frequently visited by the mid 18th century, and in 1774 this early Renaissance building with its superb classical architecture was doomed to demolition by George III, his wife preferring the modern comforts of Buckingham House. Sir William Chambers, the architect responsible for several large houses in London during the 1770s and other works in Kew Gardens, was asked to design a building to accommodate numerous government offices and the three principal learned societies.

Greatly influenced by the old palace, which Chambers knew well, his designs incorporated some of the Tudor elements of the building together with the imposing Greek and Roman pillars. Arranged as four main blocks around a central courtyard, the new Somerset House would extend across the whole six acre site of the original palace complex and gardens. Work began on the neo-classical building in 1776 and continued for the next 25 years, costing an exorbitant amount of money, at least three times more than Chambers had first estimated. Even by this time the eastern part of Somerset House remained unfinished, and it was left to Sir Robert Smirke to complete in the 1830s. The new western wing of 1856 was the work of Sir James Pennethorne who skilfully merged his additions with the original style of Chambers to create an impressive entrance for the new suite of Inland Revenue offices.

Suffering from constant alterations to the internal accommodation, as a result of varying bodies moving in and out over the years, and subsequently damaged badly during the Second World War, Somerset House began to lose much of its original decoration.

This outstanding public building, occupied largely by the Inland Revenue and the Registry until the 1970s, has since been subjected to a massive programme of restoration, and opened to the public as a cultural centre exhibiting many collections associated with its past history. The Courtauld Institute of Art, at the Strand side, offers numerous works of art from the medieval, Renaissance and Impressionist periods. No longer clogged with parked cars and business officials, the beautifully paved courtyard has become a public thoroughfare where all are welcome to stroll freely, to admire the sculptures, the fountain displays, and the ornate inner elevations of this marvellous 18th century building.

Glimpses of the elegant architectural features created by Sir William Chambers can be enjoyed again in the south building, now housing a fabulous collection of gold, silver and mosaics in the Gilbert Museum, and the River Terrace has re-opened to offer visitors one of the finest views across the River Thames.