Methodist Central Hall, Westminster

TQ 2979 NE CITY OF WESTMINSTER STOREY'S GATE SWl 91/43 Methodist Central Hall, Westminster 24.2.58 GV II* Main London Methodist hall. 1905-11 by Lanchester and Rickards. Portland stone facing,early reinforced concrete frame (on the Kahn system) and steel trussed Lead clad square dome. Symmetrically composed, free standing,monumental block in Rickards' sophisticated Continental Baroque, with square masses, disciplined by a giant Corinthian order, building up to massive square French dome. French banded rustication to wall planes. Great main storey and tall attic, raised on basement/ground floor. Corinthian columned corner pavilions,with attics, and projecting centrepiece to entrance front with engaged colonnade carried out in central bow with main central enriched architrave portal and side entrances to vestibule in sides of bow. Tall windows with oeil de boeuf or relief panels a la Gabriel above. The tall attics to set-back hall have tall tetrastyle porticoes in antis and shallow segmental pediments above parapets. Vast,enriched rib leaded dome, with oeil de boeuf finished off with balustrade and elaborate, aediculed cupola overall. Richly modelled sculptural mouldings, cornices, urns and trophies. Very skilled internal layout by Lanchester, with the raised hall surrounded by offices and rooms on 4 sides and spectacular, sweeping, Baroque grand staircase design, with French scrollworked bronze balustrade, given dramatic effect by the wide depressed archway through which it rises from the vestibule in 2 flights to meet and then divide again in lofty compartment to return to hall level; vast coffered saucer dome over grand hall, etc. Edwardian Architecture and its 0rigins: Alistair Service, ed.

Listing NGR: TQ2988979554