St John's, Smith Square

Smith Square Hall stands in the heart of Westminster, a Grade I listed concert hall that began as the church of St John the Evangelist. Designed by Thomas Archer and completed in 1728, it is one of the finest examples of English Baroque architecture. The building’s four corner towers and dramatic broken pediments earned it the nickname ‘Queen Anne’s Footstool’ after a legend involving the queen. Damaged by firebombing in the Second World War, it lay ruined for over twenty years before being restored as a concert hall. The church’s history includes a fire in 1742, a lightning strike in 1773 and structural repairs in 1815. In 1939 it hosted the wedding of Randolph Churchill to Pamela Digby, drawing large crowds and media attention. The building’s architectural importance lies in Archer’s bold Baroque style, influenced by his Grand Tour of Italy. Critics have called it both ‘singular’ and ‘whimsical’, while Charles Dickens described it as a ‘petrified monster’. Inside, the contrast is striking: a lofty, light-filled space with white walls, scarlet curtains and giant Corinthian columns supporting a barrel-vaulted roof. The crypt below, reached by spiral stairs, offers a quieter, vaulted chamber with a sense of weight and history. Archer’s design reflects his wealth and court connections, leaving a legacy of grand but few buildings. Today visitors find a concert hall that blends grandeur with intimacy. The main space hosts performances beneath its simple yet imposing vaulted ceiling. The crypt, once a ruin, now serves as the Footstool Restaurant, its low brick vaults preserving the building’s wartime scars. The hall’s exterior, with its turbulent composition of classical elements, dominates the small square of surrounding houses. Inside, the quiet simplicity of the interior offers a cool, reflective atmosphere, while the crypt provides a contrasting sense of enclosure. The building’s layered history—from church to wartime ruin to concert hall—remains visible in every detail.