Burlington House

Burlington House stands on Piccadilly in Mayfair, a grand mansion turned government property. Built in the 17th century for Sir John Denham, it passed to the Earls of Burlington whose name it keeps. The 3rd Earl shaped it into a centre of Neo-Palladian design under architects James Gibbs and Colen Campbell. William Kent created lavish interiors, including the Saloon with its plaster putti. Later owners included the Dukes of Devonshire and Lord George Cavendish, who added Fine Rooms in the early 19th century. The house became a home for learned societies in the 19th century. The Royal Society, Linnean Society and Chemical Society moved in after the government bought it in 1854. The Royal Academy of Arts took the main block in 1867, adding top-lit galleries and an art school. Banks and Barry extended the wings to match Campbell’s style, completed in 1873. Today the Royal Academy and five societies share the building, continuing its role as a hub of intellectual life. Visitors find a mix of historic architecture and cultural institutions. The Saloon survives with Kent’s original plasterwork above the doorcases. The Royal Academy’s galleries display changing exhibitions of art. The courtyard hosts the Burlington Arcade, built in 1819 along the western grounds. The Fine Rooms link the state dining room to the ballroom, arranged en enfilade. Outside, Piccadilly’s busy thoroughfare frames the austere Palladian façade. Inside, the blend of Gibbs, Campbell and Kent’s work offers a rare glimpse of English architectural evolution.