The Grade II listed Main Hall was designed in the 1930s and has a unique Art Deco charm. The building was the Former HQ for Lloyds TSB at 15-22 Cornhill within a very specific historic context. The City of London, once the sum total of what is now a very large metropolis became, over time, a world unto itself, with an economy that was almost entirely based on banking and financial services. You may be forgiven for thinking, what's changed?
The City of London
The area around Cornhill and Lombard Street has seen many periods of accelerated change economically and architecturally.
London as a Global Financial Centre
The establishment of the City of London as a global financial centre has its origins in the 18th Century, when the first purpose built banks were established. Due to the nature of the townscape, many of these properties were built on smaller historic plots, maintaining the early street patterns, apart from the notable exceptions such as the Bank of England and the Mansion House.
Lloyd's History & Development
Lloyd's emergence as a major clearing bank only took place in the early 20th century, but its origins can be traced to 1765, when a bank called 'Taylors and Lloyds' was set up in Birmingham by Samson Lloyd II, John Taylor and their son; operating as a private bank from a single office of over 100 years, it was initially, a small enterprise. However, by the 20th century, following a succession of takeovers, Lloyd's had developed into a major bank, based at the heart of the City's financial district. In the 1920s, therefore, it was decided to move from their Lombard Street offices to a major new location:
Lloyd's new HQ were designed by Sir John Burnet, Tait & Lorne, a relatively short-lived firm, which represented a merger between 3 Scottish architects. Sir John Burnet is perhaps best known for his extensive work in the Baroque style in Glasgow, as well as the heavily neo-classicist Edward VII galleries at the British Museum. Thomas Smith Tait, some 25 years Burnet's junior, was more heavily influenced by modernist ideas, with his principal works including the Pylons of Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Daily Telegraph office on Fleet Street, and the HQ of the Scottish government - St Andrew's House.
Early images show that the Banking Hall, designed with grandeur in mind, was also designed to serve a variety of purposes; as well as the offices necessary to ensure the operation of a major clearing bank, the Banking Hall served just that purpose, operating as a banking floor for face to face transactions. The Banking Hall was an attempt to reassure Lloyd's customers that their bank was a substantial and safe institution. Lloyd's occupied the building from 1930 to 2002, when they departed for new offices on Gresham Street, paving the way for Camm & Hooper to later acquire it for use as a historic venue for corporate and private events.
Events at Banking Hall
Banking Hall accommodates groups ranging from 150 to 900 in exceptional glamour. A venue very much designed to impress, Banking Hall is a unique event space at the heart of London’s prestigious Square Mile. With a Mezzanine level that looks out over the Bank of England, the space is flexible and can be adapted to accommodate customer needs – whether for a dinner, standing reception, wedding banquet, conference or exhibition.
Type |
Min to Max |
Banquet Style |
100 to 300 |
Classroom Style |
50 to 150 |
Reception Style |
100 to 900 |
Cabaret Style |
100 to 200 |
Dinner Dance Style |
100 to 260 |