The Cadogan Hall website [visit link] tells
us:
"First opened in 1907 as a New
Christian Science Church designed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm, the hall hosted
congregations of 1400 in its heyday. However, like most other churches there was
a decline in attendances and in 1996 the congregation moved to a smaller church.
The property was sold but fell into disuse for several years.
Cadogan Estate purchased the Hall
in 2000 to safeguard its future. Through their connection with Opera Holland
Park, Cadogan discovered that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was looking for a
permanent base in London. Cadogan Hall was an excellent opportunity for the
orchestra to benefit from Cadogan’s aim to bring the former church back into
useful life in a manner befitting its character and civic presence. The Hall
reopened as a concert hall in June 2004.
On one level the conversion of this
large relatively modern listed building into a performance space seems
straightforward. After all, there was a ready-made auditorium with a raked
floor, a stage, a proscenium and a gallery. Unfortunately modern expectations of
comfort and facilities, let alone the requirements of building and licensing
regulations, meant extensive and fundamental changes had to be
made.
The acoustic of the building was a
big issue, both in terms of environmental acoustic – the control of sound
break-out from the building – and performance acoustic within the auditorium.
The ceiling and the roof had to be re-detailed to provide acoustic insulation.
Tuned resonator tubes were installed on the main ceiling and the walls under the
gallery and the undersides of the tip-up seats in the stalls also have a pattern
of absorption holes to retain the Hall’s acoustic character.
The new performance lighting and
sound systems in the auditorium include the computer controlled theatrical
lights on the ceiling. These provide lighting for rehearsals but really come
into their own when they are programmed to rotate, change light beam colours and
patterns and provide other special effects for performances. A large screen for
films and visual presentations can be lowered and allows performances elsewhere
to be relayed live by satellite or the internet.
The organ installed in 1911 was
carefully dismantled and put into store to await re-installation in its new home
in a church in the Midlands. The organ casing, an integral part of the character
of the auditorium along with timber panelling and balustrading from the
platform, was also put into store. When the organ screen was re-assembled and
nearly a century of dirt was removed it was found that each of the column
capitals and each of the carvings around the arching balustrade are unique – a
surprise discovery that added to the richness of the building.
Despite the scale of the auditorium
the combined effects of the stage, the steeply raked stalls and the low gallery
create a surprisingly intimate venue where the audience experiences a very real
feeling of being part of the performance.
The stained glass was designed by a
Danish nobleman. Baron Arild Rosenkrantz, had learnt the art of stained glass
whilst working with Tiffany in New York. The designs for Cadogan Hall were said
to exhibit “artistic simplicity of patterning and to provide efficiency of
lighting and economy consistent with dignity”. There are no allegorical images
and only one window has text. All the windows were removed and taken by a
specialist to workshops for painstaking restoration. Although the Celtic knot
motifs are simple and the use of colour restrained, the dramatic effect of the
restored glass was another pleasant surprise during the refurbishment
process."
The building is Grade II listed and the
brief entry at the English Heritage website [visit
link] tells us:
"Church. 1904-9. R Chisholm.
Portland stone ashlar. Byzantine style. Five bay granite arcade at ground
storey, seven round-headed 2-light windows above with carved capitals. Central
entrance. Similar elevation to Wilbrahan Place. Dome-capped canpanile at
south-east corner."