Banqueting House, City of Westminster, London

Entry Name: Banqueting House

Listing Date: 1 December 1987

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1357353

English Heritage Legacy ID: 207615

Also known as: Banqueting House, Whitehall

ID on this website: 101357353

Location: Whitehall, Westminster, London, SW1A

County: London

District: City of Westminster

Electoral Ward/Division: St James's

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: City of Westminster

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St Martin-in-the-Fields

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: Theatre Museum Palladian architecture Banqueting house Museum building

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Description

TQ 3080 SW CITY OF WESTMINSTER WHITEHALL SW1
83/76 (East side)
Banqueting House
GV I
Banqueting House of former Whitehall Palace. 1619-25, by Inigo Jones, refaced
in Portland stone by Soane, 1829-30; the set back north bay with staircase
1798 by James Wyatt. Originally Oxford stone contrasted with Northamptonshire
stone above and Portland stone for the balustrade only. Revolutionary interpretation
of Palladio town palace themes,following Jones's visit to Vicenza. 2 main
storeys over basement. 7 windows wide with 3 centre bays very slightly advanced.
Vermiculated basement and ashlar rusticated main storeys with ashlar dressings
and orders. Entrance in added staircase bay. Tall architraved glazing bar
sashes with alternating pediments on consoles to lower main storey and cornices
on consoles to upper storey, regularly articulated by superimposed orders,
Composite over Ionic, with centre bays given emphasis by attached columns and
the pilasters of flanking bays doubled to reinforce the corners. Plinth to
lower main storey, entablature between storeys and crowning entablature with
enriched garland frieze running between the Composite capitals, balustraded
parapet overall. Similar east front. Wyatt's stair annex is stuccoed with
stone parapet, cornice, bands and dressings; above the dcorway is a roundel
niche containing bronze bust of Charles I by Le Sueur. The interior has
vaulted undercroft above which rises the magnificent double cube saloon,
the walls reflecting the exterior articulation with Ionic half columns below
and Corinthian pilasters above stone balustered gallery; main north entrance
emphasised by 4 detached columns carrying balcony projection of gallery; the
great compartmented ceiling framing Rubens' Apotheosis of James I, c.1630-34, set
in place 1635. Charles I stepped out to his execution on a scaffold erected in
front of the lower main storey.
R. C. H. M.
Survey of London; vol XIII
History of the King's Works; vol III
Inigo Jones; John Summerson

Listing NGR: TQ3016680069

External Links

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