Designed in 1775 for government departments and royal societies – perhaps the world's first office block – Somerset House now contains galleries, restaurants and cafes that encircle a lovely open courtyard and extend to an elevated sun-trap terrace. The stand-out attraction is the Courtauld Gallery, which hosts a small but exceptional Impressionist collection. The Embankment Galleries are devoted to temporary exhibitions (usually photography, design or fashion). The grand courtyard hosts a range of events year-round, including an atmospheric ice-skating rink in winter.
Construction started on the first Somerset House, a palace for the Duke of Somerset (brother of Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII's third wife) in 1547. For two centuries it played host to royals (Queen Elizabeth I lived here while she was a princess), foreign diplomats, wild masked balls, peace treaties, the parliamentary army (during the 1642 English Civil War) and Oliver Cromwell's wake. Having fallen into disrepair, it was pulled down in 1775 and rebuilt to designs by architect William Chambers. Among other weighty organizations, it went on to house the Royal Academy of Arts (and the first Summer Exhibition), the Society of Antiquaries, the Navy Board and, that most popular of institutions, Inland Revenue (the British tax authorities) – see if you can spot some of the old signage in the courtyard.
There are regular hour-long guided tours (£12, every Tue & Sat) that delve into the history of the building and Somerset House's relevance today; check the website for the schedule. Pick up tickets on the day from the information desk in Seamen's Hall in the South Wing.
