Treasury Office, Library and Hall of the Inner Temple, 1952-58, designed by Sir Hubert Worthington and T W Sutcliffe with Sir Edward Maufe acting as consultant, in the neo-Georgian style

The Inner Temple Hall, Treasury Office and Library of 1952-58, designed by Sir Hubert Worthington and T W Sutcliffe with Sir Edward Maufe, is not recommended for designation for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: the undemonstrative neo-Georgian design lacks distinctiveness and is compromised by the awkward from of the roof, a significant detraction from the architectural interest of this prominent building; * Interior: the spatial quality of the interior spaces and thoughtful detailing afford some interest, but neither confer special interest on their own merit nor compensate for the bland exterior treatment; * Historic Interest: the cultural importance of the Inns of Court is clear, but not directly manifest in the building; * Group Value: is acknowledged but is not sufficient to confer special architectural and historic interest to this post-1945 building.

The history of the four Inns of Court is long and distinguished and will not be repeated in detail here. Following the abolition of the Order of the Knights Templar in 1312, the Honourable Societies of the Inner and Middle Temples were established on this site; the Templar’s round church of 1185 to the north of the Hall is an enduring legacy of the Order’s presence here. The Hall’s medieval predecessor was located on the same site as the current building. The rebuilt buttery and undercroft to the west are all that remains of the medieval structure above ground. The Middle and Inner Temple buildings and land are held in Trust, given by James I in 1608 'to serve for all time to come for the accommodation and education of the students and practitioners of the laws of the realm’. Many of the Inner Temple’s buildings were badly damaged or destroyed during the Great Fire of 1666. Other conflagrations of 1672 resulted in further losses. The Hall was rebuilt in 1816 on the same site and again in 1866-70 by Sydney Smirke. The Library of 1819 was designed by Robert Smirke and extended by Edis in 1881. Much of the Inner Temple was destroyed in numerous bombing raids during the Blitz of 1940-41, the most devastating of which took place in May 1941 when the Temple Church, Hall, Library, Master’s House, Crown Office Row, King’s Bench Walk and the Harcourt Buildings were partly engulfed in fire. Photographs of the damaged Smirke building and the rebuilding campaign may be viewed on the Inner Temple’s website. Approximately half the Library collection was destroyed.

The reconstruction of the 1950s was overseen by Sir Edward Maufe, who designed the Middle Temple replacement structures and acted as consultant to Sir Hubert Worthington whose task it was to rebuild and restore the buildings of the Inner Temple, including the Treasury Office, Library and Hall, assisted by T W Sutcliffe. Grant-aided by the War Damage Commission who provided approximately £1.5 million for the task, with an additional £110,000 contributed by the Inner Temple, priority was given to the reconstruction of the chambers. The properties on King’s Bench Walk were repaired between 1947-1949 to Worthington’s designs and a temporary Library, opened by King George VI, was housed in no. 1 King’s Bench Walk. Niblett Hall served as a temporary Hall from 1950.

The reconstruction of the Inner Temple did not run smoothly; the architect altered plans and further delays resulted in disputes with the Benchers (senior members of the Honourable Society) and spiralling costs. Queen Elizabeth laid the foundation stone in 1952, but further discussion over the design and delays to building works resulted in Worthington being removed from the project in October 1953, to be replaced by his assistant T W Sutcliffe with Maufe continuing as consultant. Sutcliffe and Maufe’s revised plans for the Hall and Library were duly accepted by the Benchers, building commenced and the Hall was finally opened in 1955. To reduce costs, the proposed mansard roof over the entire building was limited to a hipped roof over the hall only, with a flatter roof constructed over the Treasury Office and Library, and a parapet around the whole. Further disagreements between Sutcliffe and the Benchers over the matter of the heraldic shields attached to the hall’s panelling ensued. Sutcliffe protested that the shields were not in keeping with the neo-Georgian interior, but the Benchers persisted and the shields were designed and painted by Frank Newsome Berry. The armorial windows were mostly by Hugh Easton.

Work continued on the Treasury Office, Benchers’ Rooms and Library; most of the interior work was undertaken in 1956 and Rysbrack’s marble Pegasus of 1739 (the Pegasus being the Inner Temple’s symbol), salvaged from the medieval hall, was installed above the Benchers’ entrance in 1957. The interior of the Library was designed by Sutcliffe and finally opened in 1958. It was reported on in Country Life of 24th April 1958. The ground floor beneath the Library was used for archived material, but was remodelled as a common room in the 1990s and converted to the Pegasus café-bar in the early C21. The basement offices to the Library have been reordered for the Education Department. Comfort-cooling was installed throughout (except for the Hall) in the early C21 necessitating alteration to the panelling in the Benchers’ rooms and Library. There have been some minor alterations to display cabinets in the Hall.

Amongst the many works by Sir Edward Maufe (1882-1974) are country houses and churches, but he is perhaps best known for designing Guildford Cathedral (National Heritage List for England 1377883, 1932-36, Grade II*) and the Air Forces Memorial overlooking Runnymede, Surrey (1376599, 1950-53, Grade II*) in his characteristically unfussy, elegant classical style which harkens back to the earlier C20. None of Maufe’s post-war buildings for the Middle Temple are listed.

Sir Hubert Worthington (1886-1963) designed a number of buildings for the colleges of Oxford University, where he taught architecture, but is perhaps better known for his work with the Imperial War Graves Commission from 1943 for whom he designed the military cemeteries at El Alamein and the Heliopolis War Cemetery, all in Egypt. His major post-war building work was the reconstruction of the Inner Temple.

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple houses one of the oldest Law Libraries in the country and includes rare manuscripts and archives from the C14. Numerous pieces of art and fine silverware are located in the building. Although clearly of considerable historical importance these items are not considered in the description below except where the art is fixed onto the fabric of the building.

Treasury Office, Library and Hall of the Inner Temple, 1952-58, designed by Sir Hubert Worthington and TW Sutcliffe with Sir Edward Maufe acting as consultant, in the neo-Georgian style.

MATERIALS Hand-made red and purple brick laid in English bond to the Hall and Flemish bond to the Library and Treasury Office, with red brick and Portland stone dressings and a tiled roof to the hall.

Internally, most fixtures and fittings are of oak with sapele mahogany flooring to the Library and marble flooring to the Hall.

PLAN An ‘L’ shaped plan comprising the Hall at the west end (with the main entrance from Church Court to the north), the Treasury Office to the centre (with the principal entrance from the south, the Benchers’ entrance at the north) and the Library at the east end (the principal entrance on the east elevation fronting King’s Bench Walk) with a wing to the north.

Internally, the basement, lower ground, upper ground and first floors of the Treasury Office are served by axial corridors on the long, east-west aligned arm of the ‘L’. The Library to the east comprises three double-height rooms (equating to the first and second floors) located above the Benchers’ rooms. The main Library rooms face southwards towards the river with galleries at the intermediate height, and smaller, separate rooms on the first and second floors facing north. The Library wing accommodates the main Library stairs and Librarians’ offices. The Hall to the west has full height.

EXTERIOR The building is generally of four storeys with a basement. In order to accommodate the natural southward slope of the site, the floor levels above the basement are known as lower and upper ground, first and second floors.

Built as a piece, each elevation (apart from the west) has projecting and recessed bays, emphasised by Portland stone quoins and unified by a plinth, a band above lower ground floor level and a moulded cornice beneath the parapet, all in Portland stone. There are cast iron rain goods with a Pegasus relief and dating to each elevation.

The treatment of the Hall differs to that of the Treasury Office and Library. It is surmounted by a tiled, hipped roof behind the parapet, with gablets over the projecting bays to the south elevation. At the north and south elevations, there are five tall, round-arched, metal casement windows lighting the hall within, each with Portland stone cills resting on scrolled brackets, aprons carved with swags and an enlarged key stone to the arch. The windows have a central round-arched panel with three armorial stained glazes in a row, slender mullions which radiate at the head and small square lights. The main entrance to the north elevation is approached by a flight of four steps. The panelled double door has a projecting, Portland stone porch with rusticated treatment and a flat hood. The door has moulded Portland stone jambs and entablature with a central plaque of a Pegasus carved in relief. To the left (east) of the entrance is a flat-roofed loggia, canted at the east end, and single-storey over a basement, the different levels demarcated by a wide Portland stone band. Off-set to the east is a flat-topped, brick structure with double doors at the east end. It has a Portland stone plinth and cornice and a carved stone plaque of three panels at the north elevation, with a relief of a Pegasus salvaged from Niblett Hall at the centre and inscriptions to either side.

The south elevation has slender brick string courses imitating rusticated treatment and five square casement windows beneath the lower stone band. The unveiling stone which reads ‘HER MAJESTY/ QUEEN ELIZABETH II/ LAID THIS STONE ON/ THE THIRTEENTH DAY/ OF NOVEMBER 1953' is located in the plinth beneath this group of windows. There are projecting bays to the west and east, each with secondary entrances to the hall with straight brick heads with central stone keystones and wooden, panelled double doors. The listed and scheduled standing remains of the C14 buttery are attached to the west at ground and basement levels.

Contiguous to the east of the hall, the south and east elevations to the Treasury Office and Library share the same character overall. The roof and stacks are obscured by a deep brick parapet with a flat stone coping. Timber, sliding sash windows have Portland stone surrounds to the lower ground floor and red brick surrounds and stone cills to those above. Generally, they have six-over-six glazes at the lower ground and first floors, nine-over-nine at the upper ground floor and three-over-three at the second floor; there is a slight variation at the north elevation.

The main entrance to the Treasury Office is central to the south elevation. A porch supported on two pairs of Corinthian columns has an entablature with dentils to the cornice and is flanked to either side by narrow lights beneath a shallow, recessed entablature supported by pilasters of the Corinthian order. The main Library entrance is at the east elevation located in the north wing. Approached by stone steps with a metal balustrade, the entrance is simpler than that to the Hall and Treasury Office, with a moulded stone architrave, with the word LIBRARY carved in the frieze, and dentils above. To either side are narrow lights with stone surrounds illuminated by lanterns attached to the walls. To the right there is an open pedestrian thoroughfare to Church Court with a Portland stone surround. The windows here are generally of four-over-four glazes and there is a double string course between each floor level. At the north elevation is the Benchers' entrance accommodated in a single projecting bay towards the east end. Approached by a flight of stone steps with cast iron balustrade, the entrance has a stepped stone surround with carved scrolls and pendants, and a stone panel above the double doors depicting a central Pegasus. Above is a nine-over-twelve sash window.

INTERIOR From the entrance hall at the west end two doors lead into the main part of the Hall, and stairs comprising oak balusters, newel posts and hand rails lead to the gallery over its west end. The hall comprises three broad elements; at the centre is the dining area, which has, to the east end, a raised dais, and to the west there is a carved and panelled screen (salvaged from the Victorian Hall it is said) to the gallery above the entrance hall. Each element has its own richly decorated, panelled ceiling with classical details and the whole is lit by chandeliers; the floor is covered with black and white marble tiles laid in a geometric pattern. Carved wainscot panelling and full height oak pilasters adorn the walls. Individual painted former Readers' Coats of Arms of prominent Benchers attached to the wall panelling are by Frank Newsome Berry and the armorial stained glass to the windows by Hugh Easton is eye-catching. Behind the dais at the east end, a second screen has a central broken pediment, supported by oak columns, with a gilded Pegasus at the centre. The screen is subdivided into panels by oak pilasters, four of which contain display cabinets.There are two exits through the screen to the east, the northernmost of which leads into an ante-chamber which in turn leads to a vaulted corridor along the north side of the building at upper ground level. From the south exit of the hall, and south of the corridor, are the Benchers’ rooms. The first, the Luncheon Room has full height, painted wall panelling and a coffered ceiling with mouldings; there is a carved timber surround to the marble fireplace in the north wall. The second, the Parliament Chamber, has full height panelling, egg and dart mouldings to the cornices and a coffered ceiling with a plaster frieze of acorns around the ceiling’s perimeter. At the east end is a marble fireplace with carved oak surround; attached to the panel above is C18 carved foliate panels with cherubs and two central plaques with the name ‘T Thomas Walter AR 1705’ formerly attributed to Grinling Gibbons, salvaged from the medieval Hall. The third room, the Drawing Room (at the east end of the building) has painted panelling and a marble fireplace with oak surround. The Benchers’ entrance from the north leads to a split staircase leading up to the upper ground level corridor and down to the lower ground level Treasury Office entrance. The ceilings here are deeply panelled with pilasters, bridging beams and dentil cornices and the stairs of oak have carved, turned balusters, newels and handrails. Rysbrack’s 1739 marble Pegasus with a foliate and cherub frame, salvaged from the medieval Hall. is attached to the rear panelled wall of the Treasury Office entrance flanked by the stairs. The offices to the lower ground are generally much plainer, with simple cornices. At the east end of the building is the entrance to the Pegasus café-bar (formerly a common room) and the simple back stairs of oak leading up to the Library.

The Library fixtures and fittings are intact; all are of English oak with flooring of sapele mahogany. There are three interconnected principal rooms facing south, located at the first floor, above the Benchers’ rooms on the upper ground level, and a fourth to the east. Lit by chandeliers, with incised panelling to the ceilings, these main rooms are double-height with an open central space for tables. Each room has deeply moulded architraves to the doors, full-height panelling and perimeter book stacks, with additional book stacks set at right-angles on which rest the side galleries at intermediate height, the latter lit by Globe pendants. The gallery balustrades have turned balusters and carved handrails, and perimeter book stacks lit by the second floor windows. A Librarian’s booth is found in the central room. To the north of the principal rooms at both first and second floor levels are small rooms with perimeter book stacks, the easternmost of which at the second floor has an open well lighting the main east room below. A narrow corridor is located between the principal rooms and north rooms at gallery level. The main Library stairs lead from the entrance at King’s Bench Walk; these are plain with stick balusters and simple handrails. At the second floor are the Librarians’ offices and a wall sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, a former member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, presented by the Calcutta Arts Society in 1969 to commemorate the centenary of Gandhi’s birth.

The basement level accommodates the Education and Training offices (formerly the Library archive) at the east end, but the staff restaurant and kitchens to the Hall are at the centre and west; some original white wall tiles, red quarry floor tiles, cupboards and joinery remain here.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES There are railings between low stone piers at the north elevation, terminating in two stone plinths, surmounted by replica C19 lampstands, flanking the loggia to the Hall. A raised and paved terrace to the south has stone planters, replica C19 lampstands (apart from those which are listed outside of the hall), an overthrow to the gated access to the Pegasus bar and cast iron handrails to the entrance steps to the Treasury Office entrance. These features are not mapped.