See also: Club Events at 116 | Business Centre at 116 | Banqueting and Conference Suites | Food and drink | Free public meeting spaces | Disability Access to the IoD | History of 116 Pall Mall | IoD premises rules | Non smoking
The London headquarters of the Institute of Directors are housed at 116 Pall Mall. as well as being one of the most popular business venues in the capital with thousands of IoD members and their guests visiting the premises every week, the building is also a landmark of London’s great Georgian Heritage. Over 1,500 people enjoy the facilities at 116 each day. The building is still owned by the Crown Estate and is Grade1 listed. The IoD is therefore responsible for ensuring that the glory and heritage of the building, its décor and its contents are preserved and maintained for the benefit of members, their guests and future generations.
John Nash, the famous and fashionable 19th Century architect, designed 116 Pall Mall in the early 1820s. Its imposing Regency exterior is typical of Nash’s distinct style which is visible in many other buildings in the vicinity including those on Regent Street and nearby Carlton House Terrace. Nash also famously designed the Brighton Pavillion, Marble arch and many more of London’s most popular attractions.
116 is built on the site of Carlton House, the one-time London residence of the Prince of Wales prior to his accession to the throne as George IV in 1820. Carlton House was subsequently demolished when the King moved his household to the newly renovated Buckingham Palace. The site, in the heart of London’s genteel and fashionable ”club land”, was then chosen as appropriate for the United Service Club.
Building work took two years and was completed in 1828, £7,000 over budget and at a total bill of £45,000 (a figure in today’s economy approximating £7.7 million).
The next three decades saw substantial changes to the building both inside and out as fashions changed. In 1842 Decimus Burton was employed as architect to the club and instigated a complete redecoration and some structural alterations. Burton was the designer of the athenaeum, which stands opposite 116 across Waterloo Place. The similarities between the two buildings are obvious and owe much to Burton’s alterations. They include a large external cornice with balustrade, the frieze on the northern façade, and the fluting of the Corinthian columns on the upper portico. Perhaps most imposingly, Burton also added the 19 cast iron flambeaux, or lanterns, around the building which were lit for ceremonial occasions, state visits and for remembrance of significant battles in British military and naval history. The flambeaux are still fully operational and can be lit for evening functions in the building.
The United Service Club occupied 116 for most of the next century and during its tenancy expanded into the adjacent buildings to provide overnight accommodation for members. These bedrooms now form the Business Centre meeting facilities on the third and fourth floors.
The Directors’ Room on the ground floor of 116 is of particular interest because it extends across three stages of the building’s history. The section nearest the door is part of Nash’s original structure, the middle was added by Burton in 1858, and the east side is part of an extension added in 1912.
The dramatic marble mosaic in the inner hall of 116 was laid down in 1858. It remains a listed (and unchangeable) feature of the building. also in the hall is one of the building’s most valuable features; the marble bust of Nelson by famous 18th century sculptor and Wedgewood designer John Flaxman. It is said to be the only bust of Nelson created from life and stands on a plinth made from part of HMS Victory.
The magnificent staircase is perhaps one of the most spectacular features of the building. Its position at right angles to the main entrance is often a surprise. In fact, the original intention of the building planners was to have the entrance to the (then) United Service Club at the foot of the stairs, opening direct on to Waterloo Place. However, Nash persisted doggedly with his own design and 116 was constructed with the principal façade and main entrance on Pall Mall, as it is today. Suggestions to move the entrance to Waterloo Place have often been made throughout the building’s existence, but have always proven impracticable. The staircase is made even more notable by the 15-foot, original, hand-made Regency chandelier which was presented as a gift to the club by George IV in the early 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. amongst other areas in 116, the staircase is now licensed for civil wedding ceremonies and has proven very popular with couples getting married in the building.
There are many glorious, and original, paintings of the Regency period to be found on the balcony of 116 often reflecting the naval and military history of the building. They include two magnificent 16-foot wide oils depicting the Battles of Waterloo and Trafalgar and portraits of Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington purchased by the Club in 1831.
The Restaurant on the ground floor used to be the Smoking Room of the United Service Club. It is adorned with many rich decorative features including the dramatic Ionic columns in the centre of the room. These are finished in scagliola; a skillful plaster treatment designed to imitate marble and add to the splendour in the room. The walls are also covered by gold leaf on linen; a very expensive and delicate treatment enriching the overall impression of opulence.
a small, but intriguing feature of this room is the plaque in the north-east corner. This commemorates the fact that this part of the club was once commonly known as Norwegian Corner to its members. It was here that the late Norwegian King Haakon and his officers met when in London to rest, recuperate and strategise over a cigar during the Second World War.
The Nash Room on the first floor was once the library of the United Service Club. It is the largest function room in the building and spans an impressive 3000 square feet. Unusually, the floor is supported by beams made from cast-iron and pine as oak, the preferred building material during the time, was in short supply due to the demands of the British Fleet during the 19th century. The Nash Room was notably used to portray the Viceroy’s Office in India in the film ‘Gandhi’. Throughout the six function rooms on the first floor there are a number of original oils which form a complete series of Royal portraits from Charles I to the present day.
The Wine Bar at 116 is appropriately based in the one-time wine cellars of the club. One of the key features is the large iron gates in the middle of the room. These are the original cellar doors, preserved as a design feature. The Brasserie at 116, once the site of the club’s washrooms, has been carefully preserved. The tiles are protected by the building’s listed status and cannot be removed or altered.