The London Hippodrome, Crown Public House, and 7-10 Cranbourn Street

The London Hippodrome Theatre, the Crown Public House at No. 43, and Nos. 7 to 10 Cranbourn Street form a theatre block that includes shops and chambers. Built between 1895 and 1900 by Frank Matcham, the structure features red sandstone and has leaded and slated roofs. Its design is ornate, showcasing a freely handled French Renaissance style with a theatrically Baroque skyline. The building is an island block of five storeys, five bays wide along Charing Cross Road, with a canted corner and an eight-bay return to Cranbourn Street. The ground floor includes the pub front, shops, and a canopied corner entrance to the theatre. The first floor is balustraded, with windows flanked by volute-like caryatids. Above, there are shallow canted bay windows spanning two floors. The building has string courses, cornices, and a balustraded parapet, which is interrupted by two shaped pediments. The central pediment on Cranbourn Street is off-centre to Charing Cross Road, where a small end pavilion retains its cupola. The canted corner features upper floor windows that are obscured by large hoarding and is topped with an openwork metal cupola that supports a biga, reflecting the theatre's name. Originally, the parapets were crowned with gladiatorial statues. The interior has an arena-form auditorium but has been much altered.