The British Museum King Edward VII Galleries And Attached Wall And Lions

The British Museum King Edward VII Galleries, along with the attached wall and lions, is a museum gallery that is part of The British Museum. It was constructed between 1905 and 1914 by Sir John Burnet, with assistance from Thomas Tait, using Portland stone and marble.

The exterior features two storeys and a semi-basement with 21 bays, showcasing a symmetrical Edwardian Beaux Arts facade. This facade includes a screen of attached Ionic columns on a podium, with flat, higher square structures at the corners. The windows on both floors are commercial metal framed and positioned between the columns. A granite door frame is complemented by an inner frame of enriched marble. Above the door, there is an inscribed foundation stone and gilded wreaths on the flanking columns. The cornice is adorned with protruding carved lions' heads at intervals. A deep blocking course with guttae and a parapet above features carved crowns at intervals, each displaying the initials ER.

Inside, the gallery is designed in a fine neo-Classical style, featuring a low top-lit hall. The staircase is lined with Greek marble, and there are a pair of black columns with a large Buddha sculpture in the well, alongside a gilt bronze lift cage. The galleries exhibit trabeated Smirke style with stripped Classical detailing. The North Library, located behind the staircase, has been altered from Burnet's original mannerist design.

The subsidiary features include an attached stone wall on either side of the main entrance, which is terminated by carved stone lions, created by Sir George Frampton, that have crossed front paws.