Somerset House on the Strand was designed by Sir William Chambers. The infobox and lead give construction as starting in 1776, while the Chambers section says 1775. The quadrangle was complete by 1790, and the building was deemed complete in 1801 at £462,323. The Crown Lands Act of 1775 authorized it, and the article names no client.
The lead calls it neoclassical with Palladian principles, while the infobox says Renaissance. The courtyard measures 300 by 200 feet (91 by 61 m), the riverfront is 500 feet (150 m) wide and each block has six stories. It replaced a Tudor palace begun for Edward Seymour around 1549.
It housed government offices and learned societies, with the Inland Revenue there until 2013. Bombs damaged it in 1940, and a fire hit the West Wing on August 17, 2024. It is Grade I listed and now an arts center, with a public courtyard and ticketed exhibitions.
Comments