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CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS)

CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS), TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1217724
Date first listed:: 05-Feb-1970
List Entry Name:: CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS)
Statutory Address:: CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS), TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2

User submitted image — Uploaded by Philip Carlisle This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Date:: 2000-11-21
Reference:: IOE01/02577/33
Rights:: © Mrs Marion Davies. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1217724
Date first listed:: 05-Feb-1970
List Entry Name:: CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS)
Statutory Address 1:: CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS), TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2
Statutory Address 2:: CANADA HOUSE, PALL MALL SW1

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: CANADA HOUSE (INCLUDING THE FORMER ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS), TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2
Statutory Address:: CANADA HOUSE, PALL MALL SW1

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: City of Westminster (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ 29928 80438

Details

TQ 2980 SE 82/39

CITY OF WESTMINSTER TRAFALGAR SQUARE, WC2 Canada House (including the former Royal College of Physicians)

5.2.70

GV II* Institutional building.1824-27 by Sir Robert Smirke as premises for the Royal College of Physicians and the Union Club, altered on conversion as Canada House by Septimus Warwick. Bath stone, slate and lead roofs. Unified composition occupying the west side of the square with porticoes to north (Pall Mall East) to the square and to the south (Cockspur Street), in dignified and scholarly Greek Revival characteristic of Smirke.

Two storeys, basement and wings and attic over centre as built with additional (and top heavy) attics provided over centre for Canada House. Fifteen windows wide to Trafalgar Square with former central entrance now window, in tetrastyle portico in antis composed of giant engaged Ionic columns contained by advanced giant pilastered bays. Recessed glazing bar sash windows. The wings either side of centre-piece articulated in shallow projection and recession, the advanced bays with same giant pilaster order as that flanking centrepiece and the central recessed portion of each wing with three close-set windows as tripartite group. Main entablature over first floor and attic storey with cornice and balustraded parapet. Heightened attics, over centre. The return to Pall Mall East retains original hexastyle Ionic portico (the entrance to the former Royal College of Physicians); to Cockspur Street a giant Ionic tetrastyle portico rebuilt by Septimus Warwick as entrance to Canada House.

The interior of the former Royal College of Physicians is least altered with fine entrance hall with Greek Doric column screen to staircase, of Club design (et Athenaeum), main reception room, library and lecture room, all with restrained Grecian decoration, etc. The interior of Canada House more altered, but retaining Smirke's design in the High Commissioner's Room and in modified form the principal staircase etc.

The siting of this institutional building on the west side of Trafalgar Square was programmed in Nash's Metropolitan Improvements of 1824-26.

Listing NGR: TQ2992880438

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 207264
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
'Survey of London' in Charing Cross the Parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields Part 1: Volume 16 , , Vol. 16, (1935)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.