Middlesex Guildhall

The Middlesex Guildhall stands on the south-western corner of Parliament Square in the City of Westminster. It is a Neo-Gothic building with Flemish-Burgundian references, designed by Scottish architect J. S. Gibson and sculpted by Henry Fehr. The site originally held the belfry of Westminster Abbey before the first guildhall opened in 1805. Nikolaus Pevsner described the current design as an art nouveau Gothic style. The building served as the administrative headquarters for Middlesex County Council after 1889. It later became a Crown Court centre before its conversion into the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council now occupy the guildhall. The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 established the Supreme Court, which began operations in 2009. Save Britain’s Heritage opposed the conversion, arguing that original interiors were lost. English Heritage had previously described the courtroom fittings as unsurpassed in quality and completeness. The renovation was carried out by Feilden and Mawson, with new carpets designed by Sir Peter Blake. The building remains a Grade II* listed structure. Visitors find a symmetrical main frontage of nine bays facing Parliament Square. The central section projects forward with an ornate arched doorway and a tower above. A 17th-century door from Tothill Fields Bridewell prison is installed in the basement. Medieval-style gargoyles and sculptures by Henry Charles Fehr decorate the exterior. Inside, the refurbished courtrooms feature fittings praised for their quality. The Supreme Court’s official badge is reinterpreted in carpets designed by Sir Peter Blake. The building’s history and architecture reflect its evolving roles over centuries.