Description

TQ 2980 SE CITY OF WESTMINSTER PALL MALL, SW1
82/62 (south side)
No. 107: The Athenaeum
5.2.70
G.V. I
Gentlemen's Club. 1826-30 by Decimus Burton for this famous club for
"scientific and literary men and Artists" initiated by Croker. Stucco
faced, concealed roof. Highly accomplished Graeco-Roman design balancing
Nash's former United Services Club. 2 principal storeys and unobtrusive
set back attic storey (added by T.E. Colcutt 1899-1900) , basement.
7-window wide entrance front to Waterloo Place, 5-window wide elevations to
Pall Mall and garden. Smooth rusticated ground floor has central
tetrastyle Roman Doric portico to Waterloo Place with coupled columns and
terminal antae on pedestals with steps between them; ground floor plate
glass sashes in architraves with plain margins, recessed for one order with
voussoired flat arches. 1st floor windows are French casements in
architraves with flanking panelled strips and acanthus consoles carrying
cornices. The alternative triglyphs of the Doric entablature over the
ground floor are ingeniously developed as brackets supporting the 1st floor
cornice-balcony with slender cast iron Grecian baluster rails and corner
pedestals bearing tripod lamps; stone balustrade over portico, the centre
bay solid and surmounted by pedestalled gilt statue of Athene carved by
E.H. Baily. A particular feature of the design is John Henning junior's
version of the Panathenaic frieze, carved in Bath stone now painted a la
Wedgwood, which together with the enriched cornice and balustraded parapet
grandly finishes off the "piano nobile". Panelled stone parapet to the
area of 1894. Very distinguished interior with basilican entrance hall,
the "nave" tunnel vaulted and original light fittings between the Grecian
columns, redecorated by Alma Tadema; grand club staircase rises straight
out of the hall in one flight to split into two and returns to 1st floor
landing over the hall's tunnel vault, lit by octagonal dome - the upper
part of intermediate landing wall treated as pseudo-portico with gilded
plaster cast of the Apollo Belvedere; morning room and coffee room suitably
Grecian and great tripartite drawingroam behind garden front on 1st floor; main
library with gallery and spiral staircase of 1856 by Burton, etc.
Survey of London; Vol. XXIX.

Listing NGR: TQ2968880301

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Athenaeum Club at Wikipedia
• Athenaeum Club official website
• Wikidata Q492758

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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