Saturday 11 February 2012

Two Temple Place


Two Temple Place, or Astor House as it is also known, was built by the American William Waldorf Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) on the Victoria Embankment in 1895 as a home for the Astor family. The architect was John Loughborough Pearson regarded as the founder of Modern Gothic and is an Arts & Craft gold mine.


It is now the home of the Bulldog Trust (hence the sign) which gives financial and advisory help to charities and aims to inspire philanthropy.


Two Temple Place has now opened its doors to the general public as an exhibition space to display publicly-owned art from around the UK. The first exhibition featured William Morris: Story, Memory, Myth. It was fantastic.

The entrance features two bronze lamp standards of small boys. One holds a telephone, the other a globe to signify the new age of telecommunication.

 
Astor’s favourite novel was Alexandre Dumas, “The Three Musketeers” and he commissioned Thomas Nicholls to carve mahogany newel posts of  D’Artagnan, Madame Bonacieux, Aramis and other characters from the story. The stair well is finished off with a stained glass roof.

Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the building but click here for a glimpse of the interior.


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