The Rotunda (Royal Artillery Museum)

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TQ 4278 19/W63

Green Hill SE18 (off Repositary Road) The Rotunda (Royal Artillery Museum)

II* Museum. Built 1814 by John Nash. Flemish band yellow brick; tented leaden roof with weathervane surmounting small wooden cupola. Polygonal plan with retangular projection to rear. One storey; 24-sided polygon, each bay defined by raised pilaster linked by raised brick cornice and eaves band. Gauged brick segmental arch over C20 double doors set in moulded wood architave with bays each having gauged brick segmental arch over base-hung 27-pane casement with reeded transom beneath fanlight. Similar articulation and windows to flat-roofed one-storey, two-bay rear wing which has further one by one bay block to rear with hipped slate roof, brick stack and recessed panels to bays.

Interior: centrally-placed Doric column set on tall pedestal to roof which has canvas tented ceiling (a restoration of 1972 and hiding curved timber trusses) which sweeps down to peripheral aisle of 24 pairs of columns connected by segmental arches.

History: this extraordinary building, in the style of a spectacular bell tent, stood first in the grounds of Carlton House Gardens where it was one of several erected for the meeting of the allied sovereigns in 1814; in 1819 Nash supervised its removal, making it into a permanent building with the addition of a leaden roof, brick walls and central pillar, and conversion into a museum for the display of captured trophies.

Listing NGR: TQ4265078139