St John'S Smith Square Concert Hall

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TQ3079 SW 101/75

CITY OF WESTMINSTER SMITH SQUARE, SW1 St. John's Smith Square

(Formerly listed as St John's Smith Square Concert Hall, previously listed as Church of St John the Evangelist)

24.2.58

G.V. I

Former parish church, now concert hall. 1713-28 by Thomas Archer, remodelled internally after fire in 1742, burnt out in World War II and restored to its early C.18 state 1965-68 by Marshall Sisson. Portland stone, leaded roofs.

Very bold and typically idiosyncratic Baroque, reflecting Archer's direct experience of continental Baroque. Island site in centre of square. Modified Greek cross with re-entrant angles screened by rusticated convex quadrants; north and south pedimented porticoes, the composition dominated by four unique corner towers. The porticoes, approached by broad flights of steps with retaining walls surmounted by wrought iron lampstandards, have gigantic Tuscan columns in antis and great broken pediments framing columned and pilastered aedicules with their own broken pediments; within porticoes: eared architrave doorways and semicircular arched windows. The east and west ends have giant Venetian windows framed by giant pilasters; attic over with flanking volutes and a broken pediment framing a pedimented attic niche. The towers are circular and pierced with Corinthian columns flanking the openings diagonally, entablature curved out above them and crowning ogee cupolas.

Internally there are lobbies behind the porticoes; the east and west ends are screened by broad arches on giant Corinthian columns and two further pairs of columns stand forward from the curved corners of the nave proper carrying an entablature supporting a barrel vault with a quoin vault over the centre of the nave, reintroducing the Greek cross plan internally; wooden Ionic columns carry galleries behind the giant columns. Renewed plain leaded glass to the windows. Brick groin valuted crypt.

St. John's is the climax of the exceptionally well preserved early C.18 enclave comprising the north side of Smith Square and Lord North, Barton and Cowley Streets q.v.

Listing NGR: TQ3011279110