MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79, HORSE GUARDS AVENUE SW1

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Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1278223
Date first listed:: 14-Jan-1970
List Entry Name:: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79
Statutory Address:: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79, HORSE GUARDS AVENUE SW1

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1278223
Date first listed:: 14-Jan-1970
Date of most recent amendment:: 01-Dec-1987
List Entry Name:: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79
Statutory Address 1:: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79, HORSE GUARDS AVENUE 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:: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, CONTAINING SIXTEENTH CENTURY UNDERCROFT AND HISTORIC ROOMS NUMBERS 13, 24, 25, 27 AND 79, HORSE GUARDS AVENUE 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 30240 80010

Details

TQ 3080 SW and 3079 NW CITY OF WESTMINSTER HORSE GUARDS AVENUE, SWl 83/80 ; 92/ 2 14.1.70 (Vaulted undercroft only) Ministry of Defence, containing C16 Undercroft and Historic Rooms: Nos 13, 24, 25, 27 and 79 G.V. I Government offices incorporating C.16 vaulted undercroft and C.18 historic rooms removed and reset from houses formerly on the site. Office building designed 1913 by Vincent Harris, only built after World War II, completed 1959. Portland stone ashlar facing, copper clad roofs. Stripped Edwardian Baroque and some more strictly classical features dressing vast pile. Long wedge shaped plan with slightly bowed north front and slightly convex south end. 8 storeys with 4 equally spaced 2 storey giant colonnaded top hampers, with pedimented terminal pavilions, running east-west, one over each end and 2 in between. 21-window wide main north entrance front. Very long regularly fenestrated side elevations. The top hampers define 3 internal courts. Tetrastyle portico in antis to centre of north front flanked by pylons supporting massive sculptures of "Earth" and "Water" by Charles Wheeler. Gibbs surround windows to ground floor; "Georgian" metal casements to plain upper floors. Reset historical features as follows. In the basement and formerly part of the ground floor of Cadogan House, a vaulted undercroft wine cellar of c.1530 originally part of York Place, residence of Cardinal Wolsey incorporated into Whitehall Place by Henry VIII, brick, quadripartite, chamfered cross and ridge ribbed vaults over 10 bays with 4 central octagonal stone piers, barrel-platforms in situ; exterior faced in C.18 stone dressed brick with segmental arched windows. Historic Room No. 13: c.1757, part of a suite of reception rooms from Pembroke House; lightly modelled decorative plaster ceiling and modillion cornice, the wall opposite window with Ionic columned and pilastered frame of an alcove with female mask keystone to arch beneath entablature and flanking bays with 6-panel doors surmounted by circular panels. Historic Room No. 24: c.1757, part of the Pembroke House suite; similar but elaborated alcove opposite bay window in tripartite arrangement with decorative flanking doors in frame of fluted Ionic columns on pedestals, suggesting a small stage set with appropriate carved masks and enrichment; good decorative plasterwork ceiling of spider's web pattern, the ceiling in the bay window a similar but independent composition; enriched modillion cornice; carved arabesque ornament to window shutter panels. Historic Room No. 25: former Dining Room of the Pembroke House suite, 1773 by Sir William Chambers with richly decorated plasterwork ceiling with trophies, festoons, tripods and sphinxes etc, but the chimneypiece, an elaborate composition with crowning shaped pediment to overmantel, attributed to William Kent and said to come from Cadogan House. Historic Room No. 27: former Saloon of the Pembroke House Suite, 1760 by Sir William Chambers with elaborate compartmented plasterwork ceiling with still in his early Palladian manner and Corinthian columned and pedimented doorway with carved enrichment. Historic Room No. 79: room formerly at Cromwell House, c.1722 - fully panelled room with enriched modillion cornice, the north wall with elaborated carved architrave central panel, the east wall with formerly open tripartite pilastered arcade, and ornate carved pine chimneypiece, consoles to mantle carved with eagle heads and pedimented overmantel, etc. Graded I for vaulted under- croft. Survey of London; Vol. XIII. Sir William Chambers; John Harris.

Listing NGR: TQ3024080010

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 210208
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Harris, J, Sir William Chambers Knight of the Polar Star, (1970)
'Survey of London' in The Parish of St Margaret Westminster Part 2 Neighbourhood of Whitehall Volume 1: Volume 13 , , Vol. 13, (1930)

Legal

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