Blog 10 – The British Museum

Post Card - South Front of the British Museum

Introduction – Choosing a classical building

When I read in my course notes that I had to visit a classical building, the very first one that came to mind was the British museum. Even though it was a purpose built museum, and not a house, this was the one I just had to visit. This has always been one of my favourite museums, and for me it’s always been a symbol of strength, progress, and elegance.

There was also the added benefit that I could visit a classical building and view its ancient Greek and Roman artefacts at the same time.

Brief History

The British museum was founded in 1753 when Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and scientist bequeathed in his will, his extremely large collection of books, manuscripts, natural objects and antiques to King George II, in exchange for payment to his heirs.

An act of parliament then established the museum, and the collection in Montague house was opened to the public in 1759. The museum is still on the same site, although the original house was demolished to make room for the museum we know and love today. Today the museum collection houses over 70 million objects, including the controversial Elgin marbles.

As the original collection grew, the need for a larger building increased and in 1823 work started on the west wing of the museum. In 1842 Montague house was demolished to make way for the last section of the west wing, and the south and west wings were completed in 1846 and 1847 respectively. As further space was needed, the houses in the five streets backing the museum were purchased and most demolished to make way for the expansion of the museum. Additional work still continues today, with the new Conservation centre due to be completed in 2013.

Front Facade

As you approach its main south entrance from Great Russell Street in London, you can’t help but be impressed by this magnificent building.

Over its lifetime the museum has had many architects , but most of the museum was designed by Sir Robert Smirke in the Classical, Greek Revival style.

It’s stairs lead up to the colonnade with its 44, 14 meter (45ft) high voluted Ionic columns, and beautifully decorated pediment.

Using the modern technology of the 1820s, the museum was constructed from cast iron and London brick, on a concrete floor, and the public areas were then covered in Portland stone.

The windows are of little significance and are hardly noticed, hidden behind the grand columns.

The design of the building was based upon, and inspired by the temple of Athen Polias, and in my opinion also bares many similarities to the Nereid monument housed inside the museum.

Sir Robert Smirke also designed other notable buildings including Canada House (previously known as the Union Club building), and the Royal College of Physicians in Trafalgar square.

The Front Pediment

The pediment over the main entrance was designed by Sir Richard Westmacott (RA), and was completed in 1852. The sculptures were originally painted white, on a Wedgewood blue background. He designed it to depict The Progress of Civilisation, and it was meant to give visitors a taste of what they could expect to see inside the museum.

Sir Westmacott also designed other notable works, such as the sculptures on the north side of the Marble Arch, the Waterloo Vase in Buckingham Palace gardens and many memorials including the one of Nelson at the Bull Ring in Birmingham.

If we look at each section of the pediment from the left we see the following:

Image 1 – We see the creation of man, being ignorant and naive.

Image 2 – He reaches his hand out to the Angel of Enlightenment, who holds the lamp of knowledge.

Image 3 – Man has now learned some basic skills like taming animals and farming.

Next man continues to deepen his knowledge and understanding of the world by learning the following subjects, which were key in the museums early collection:

Image 4 – Architecture and Sculpture

Image 5 – Painting and Science

Image 6 – Geometry / Maths and Drama

Image 7 – Music and Poetry

Image 8 – Shows how man has learned to dominate the world around him

Interior – Weston Hall leading to the Great Court

The front entrance leads into the Weston Hall, which was designed by Sydney Smirke, Sir Robert Smirke’s brother, in 1845.

Designed in the Doric style, with its tall columns and uncomplicated capitals, the interior walls and ceilings have been decorated and painted in the colours and patterns borrowed from the early Greeks.

As you continue through the hall, there are grand staircases to your left and right, leading into the galleries in the east and west wings.

If you continue straight through the Weston Hall into the centre of the museum, you enter the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, which used to be an open air quadrangle housing the reading room.

This quadrangle was modernised and redeveloped by Foster and Partners, to change the space from an unused, outside area, to a more versatile, covered one.

In 2000 it was re-opened to the public as the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, and it became the central hub of the museum.

They still retained the original Ionic Greek design on the old exterior of the building, which has now become the new interior, and old met new in this very clever redevelopment

My thoughts in Closing:

Although on the face of it, the British Museum appears to be a classical Greek styled building, it is in fact an eclectic mix of classical Greek, Roman and modern architecture. Everything a museum of its kind should be.

Studying the museum has opened my eyes to the design in other buildings around me, and I find myself noticing the different design elements in them on an ever increasing basis.

I’m now looking forward to the next chapter of my course, and to discovering more about ancient civilisations and the role that art played in their history.

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