Chartered Accountants’ Hall: An Architectural Gem In The City

Every year in September the Open House festival takes place across London. Run by the architecture charity, Open City, many of the city’s buildings open their doors for free. 

This year I was able to visit Chartered Accountants’ Hall near Moorgate, a wonderfully exuberant late-Victorian neo-Baroque building, not ordinarily open to the public.

Described by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as ‘’eminently original and delightfully picturesque’, it has many unique features and was a pleasure to look around. 

The History 

Chartered Accountants’ Hall is the headquarters of the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ in England and Wales. It was completed in 1892, designed by the architect John Belcher after he won an open competition.

Belcher was living in Venice at the time and he was heavily influenced by Italian architecture and was slightly controversial as it was seen as a move away from the traditional Victorian architecture of the period. 

It was initially intended for 1700 members but as the industry has grown rapidly over the decades the building had to go through two major extensions, in the 1930s and then again in the 1970s. 

The Frieze

The first detail that will strike you is the facade, heavily adorned in sculptures and a detailed frieze.

The Victorian frieze is by Hano Thornycroft depicting figures connected with the building as well as professions/fields that accountancy is involved in, such as ‘Arts and Sciences’, ‘Agriculture’, ‘Mining’ and even one for the ‘India Colonies’, very much placing it in its historical context.

It was really designed as a celebration, in this late Victorian period, of the British empire and the Industrial Revolution. 

The frieze was extended in the 1930s by H.A Stevenson. It is focussed on the history of architecture starting with a caveman through to the modern day. Christopher Wren for example is included holding a model of St Paul’s. 

The large sculpture over the entranceway, by sculptor Harry Bates, is the Institute Lady called ‘economia’, representing good management.

Their latin motto ‘recte numerare’, translates as ‘number correctly’.  

Its Very Own Rialto Bridge

The most notable example of the Italian influence in its design can be seen in the charming Members’ Room, formerly the library. As you can see it has a bridge going directly across the room, inspired by the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

Our guide said it is possibly the only building in the country to have this feature. Let me know in the comments if you know of any others! 

Also, at the back of this room, is a series of stained glass windows by the artist Alexander Beleschenko, added in 2022.

They consist of 1000 individual pieces of glass that took 7 months to create. Each piece of glass has been individually painted and bonded at 600 degrees centigrade. There are actually 3 layers of glass with LED lights behind creating this rather magical effect in the room. 

The Entrancehall and Stairway

This is the entrance hall of the building. 

On the stairs you will see a list of all the Presidents of the Institute including William Welch Deloitte and William Barclay Peat: the ‘P’ in KPMG.

The Council Chamber

Designed by Belcher to resemble early Renaissance church design, the council chamber is a stunning space, topped by a large glass dome.

The frescos you can see, painted by George Taylor, came a bit later in 1913-14.

In classic Victorian style, they depict sensational allegorical scenes such as Justice slaying a figure of anarchy with a fiery sword.

It certainly gives the profession of accountancy a dramatic flair. 

The Origins Of New Labour

This is the small reception room.

It has been a popular meeting spot for groups over the years. Most notably this is where Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Margaret Beckett, Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson met in 1997 to discuss the direction of New Labour. 

Stained Glass and Led Zeppelin?

These stained glass windows that can now be found just outside the Great Hall, have an interesting story behind them. 

They were installed in the entranceway when the building was constructed in the 19th century.

During the 1970s extension work they were sold off and acquired by Peter Grant, the manager of Led Zeppelin. Who knows why he bought them because they lay untouched in his barn for almost 50 years.

After he died in 1995, his family found the stained glass windows and put them up for auction. They were then bought back by the Institute and reinstalled in 2017. 

The Great Hall

The final room is the Great Hall.

It was built in the 1970s as part of the extension at this time designed by William Whitfield to accommodate the Institute’s growing membership. 

The Great Hall can hold gatherings of up to 400 people and it holds the distinction of having the largest unsupported concrete ceiling in the UK. Whitfield suspended the five floors of office space above on beams supported by four concrete columns, meaning there are not pillars on the inside. 

You can find out more about the history of the hall here. They also have a 3D virtual tour of the building you can see.

Thank you for reading; more of London’s amazing architecture below.