Royal Naval College southwest building, King William's Quarter

Royal Naval College southwest building, King William's Quarter

This Grade I listed building on Romney Road forms part of the Royal Naval College complex. Construction began in 1698 to designs by Sir Christopher Wren, with the Hall, dome and colonnade completed by 1703. The west front was added by Vanbrugh in 1728.

The east inner front features a long colonnade of paired Tuscan columns with a set-back balustraded upper floor above. At the north-east corner stands a two-stage tower. The lower stage is square with one bay, a wide open pediment and a high round-arched window flanked by niches. The upper stage is circular, composed of Corinthian columns with diagonal projections. Above sits a low drum with raised eaves on axes, topped by a ribbed leaded dome with oval windows in its lower part and a columned cupola with weathervane.

The south front rises four storeys above a basement, with enriched entablature and parapet. Slightly projecting pedimented end bays feature pilasters on the third floor and quoins below. All windows are sashes with glazing bars. Those above ground floor level have moulded architraves; third-floor windows have shouldered architraves. Console-bracketed broken cornices and triple keystones ornament second-floor windows. First-floor windows have modified Gibbs surrounds with console-bracketed cornices. Windows in the outer bays sit within tall round-arched recesses with oval attic windows above. The third-floor window in the right bay is flanked by round-arched niches. Below this, the inner colonnade returns with six pairs of Tuscan columns, the outer ones square, supporting an entablature and balustraded parapet.

The west front, designed by Vanbrugh, is arranged in three blocks of red brick with Portland stone dressings and a stone facade to the three-bay centre. The inner block rises four storeys above a basement with eleven windows. Rebated angles feature inner and outer quoins. Two square half-columns and two fluted round columns support a Doric entablature and parapet, which is lower at the sides. Gauged brick arches frame recessed sash windows with glazing bars. A tall round-arched first-floor centre window with an oval window above and a round-arched entrance below form the focal point. Three-storey, one-window links with windows in open-pedimented entablature surrounds connect to three-bay end pavilions set beneath wide segmental pediments. Each pavilion has a deep recess with an oval window in its tympanum and stone quoins. Segment-headed second-floor windows have drip moulds and cill bands. Round-arched first-floor windows also have cill bands and moulded stone architraves. Ground-floor windows are segment-headed with spring strings.

The interior contains the Painted Hall, a masterpiece of decorative art. A vestibule beneath the dome features columns painted in grisaille with sculpture in the pendentives. A flight of steps and a screen of composite columns lead to the Lower Hall, which spans eight main bays divided by composite pilasters supporting an enriched entablature. All pilasters and columns are painted in grisaille to create the illusion of fluted surfaces and enriched architraves. Rosette-panelled reveals adorn the walls, trophies of arms appear on the west wall, and cartouches frame the doors. Six steps and a proscenium-type arch lead to a smaller upper hall, where the archivolt displays signs of the zodiac in high relief.

The ceilings were painted by Sir James Thornhill between 1708 and 1716. In the eastern bay, figures representing tidal rivers drawn up by the moon surround a Spanish galleon, encircled by figures of great astronomers. An oval centre panel depicts William and Mary surrounded by the Virtues, with Louis XIV at their feet, bordered by figures representing the Seasons and Signs of the Zodiac. Notably, a portrait of an elderly pensioner of the Hospital appears as Winter. The western arch shows Vices being chased from Heaven by Minerva and Hercules around another Spanish galleon, with figures representing the City of London, its rivers, and Greek scientists.

In the Upper Hall, the ceiling shows Queen Anne and Prince George of Denmark in a central medallion surrounded by Virtues, with sea gods and creatures welcoming the return of the Maritime Agent. Four side panels depict the Continents. Flower pieces in the corners were painted by Charles Lebrun. The walls bear allegorical scenes in grisaille executed by pupils of Thornhill.

The inner courtyard's east side features a colonnaded portico with a pediment containing sculptures representing Nelson's battles, executed in Coade stone by Benjamin West.