Royal Observatory South Building
ROYAL OBSERVATORY SOUTH BUILDING
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1244325
- Date first listed:
- 04-Oct-1994
- List Entry Name:
- Royal Observatory South Building
- Statutory Address:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY SOUTH BUILDING
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1244325
- Date first listed:
- 04-Oct-1994
- List Entry Name:
- Royal Observatory South Building
- Statutory Address 1:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY SOUTH BUILDING
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY SOUTH BUILDING
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Greenwich (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 38952 77214
Details
TQ 3877 GREENWICH PARK
786-/26/10034 Royal Observatory South Building
GV II
Former New Physical Observatory to the Royal Greenwich Observatory, now offices and planetarium. 1892-99 by William Crisp in close collaboration with W H M Christie, Astronomer Royal. Banded brick and Doulton terracotta, slate roof rising to central flat area with decorative iron railings. Cruciform plan of two storeys and attics on steeply sloping site with central copper dome built to house the Lassell Dome telescope. Central core presents single-bay canted front to each side, from which project two-bay wings terminating in paired stacks. Germano-Italianate Renaissance style, the ground floor with Gibbsian surrounds and keystones to wooden casement windows, the first floors over heavy sill bands with de Vriesian pilasters, mullions and transoms. Aediculed dormers with pediments. North side of centrepiece has a double-height composition of mullions and transoms with decorated panels between and below. Principal entrance on first floor at end of eastern arm, reached up six steps, with double door under round headed opening and flanked by pilasters. Balcony over with pedimented dormer behind. Many decorative plaques and shields devised by Doultons for the building. Over each first floor window is a plaque to an important British scientist or astromer, with Newton reserved for the centre and Flamsteed, Bradley, Maskelyne and Airy on the ends of the wings - these last deemed the positions of greatest honour. Bust of John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, by J Raymond Smith, c.1898-9. The South Building was constructed to house the Lassell Dome telescope and to house the Royal Observatory's pioneering work in astronomical photography. It later housed the two 'Thompson equatorial' telescopes. The vigorous display of terracotta work is demonstrative of that material at its best.
Listing NGR: TQ3895177215
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 449368
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 06:09:51.
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All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.