Trinity House

Trinity House, located on the north side of Trinity Square in London, was built between 1793 and 1796, designed by Samuel Wyatt. The interior was largely destroyed in 1940 and subsequently reconstructed between 1952 and 1954 by A E Richardson. The building is constructed of Portland stone with a copper roof and has a double-depth plan centered around a staircase. It is an example of Neo-classical architecture.

The building is two storeys high with a five-window range, featuring slightly projecting outer bays. The ground floor is rusticated with a central segmental-arched doorway. This is flanked by semi-circular arched sashes with glazing bars and segmental arches over tripartite sashes with glazing bars in the outer bays. The first floor has paired, unfluted Greek Ionic pilasters to the outer bays, featuring relief-carved panels depicting putti holding nautical emblems between pairs of lighthouses set over dentilled cornices. Tripartite sashes with unfluted Greek Ionic columns and a balustraded apron are also present. The three recessed bays to the centre are articulated by engaged unfluted Greek Ionic columns and contain similar tripartite sashes flanked by twelve-pane sashes set in a moulded architrave with a cornice. The fascia displays the arms of Trinity House flanked by portrait medallions of George III and Queen Charlotte. A simple blocking is present to the entablature, finishing with a dentilled cornice. The five-bay left side elevation features semi-circular arched sashes to the rusticated ground floor, and twelve-pane and six-pane attic storey sashes set in square-headed architraves.

An extension was added to the right side by A E Richardson between 1952 and 1954, constructed of brick with stone dressings. It features a five-bay range mirroring the original style, with a weathervane surmounting a canted bay, and a three-bay return to the right side wall.

The interior is a finely-reconstructed space based on original Trinity House drawings and County Life photographs of 1919. The stair hall to the rear has a wrought-iron balustrade with anthemion panels. The staircase divides at the half-landing into two flights that sweep around a semi-circular apse lit by a clerestory. Entries are flanked by columns of ‘verde antico’ scagliola with gilded Roman Doric capitals to the ground floor and Ionic capitals to the first floor, surmounted by pairs of caryatids by Charles Wheeler. The first-floor Court Room has a coved ceiling and a fine white marble fireplace with armolu ornament. To the right of the first-floor Court Room is a Banqueting Hall and Library, also by A E Richardson, featuring elliptical end bays and reset stained glass dating from the 16th century.

The forecourt is enclosed by a wrought-iron balustrade and includes tall lamp standards.