Queen's Hall

The Queen's Hall was a classical music concert hall in Central London, opened in 1893 but is best known for being where The Promenade Concerts were founded in 1895.

Related Topics:
Classical music - Concert hall - London - 1893 - The Promenade Concerts - 1895

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Situated in Langham Place, although having a total of 17 entrances and exits on three streets (the other two being Riding House Street and Great Portland Street), it had seating for up to 3,000 within a floor area of 21,000 square feet (2,000 m²). It was considered to have a 'perfect acoustic' and was designed by Thomas Edward Knightley. Internal alterations, completed in 1919 reduced the capacity to 2,400.

Related Topics:
Thomas Edward Knightley - 1919

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It closed in 1941 after the auditorium was gutted by fire after a single incendiary bomb hit the building during a massive air raid in which the chamber of the House of Commons and many other buildings were also destroyed.

Related Topics:
1941 - Auditorium - Incendiary bomb - House of Commons

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In 1954-55 a report was commissioned, chaired by Lord Robbins, into the feasibility of a replacement, the 'New Queen's Hall' but which concluded: On musical grounds it is desirable to replace the destroyed Queen's Hall by another large hall of good acoustic qualities, but it is doubtful if there is a potential demand which would enable it to run without subtracting from the audiences of subsidised halls already in existence.

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Its former site is now the St Georges Hotel.

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