Skip to main content
Search
The London Library The HAC Shaftesbury Theatre Young V&A Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery English National Ballet Camley Street Natural Park Frameless Bishopsgate Institute Mansion House Roundhouse The Courtauld Gallery Royal College of Music No.11 Cavendish Square Science Gallery London No.4 Hamilton Place One Birdcage Walk The Postal Museum Sadler’s Wells Horniman Museum and Gardens Houses of Parliament The Royal Institution of Great Britain {10-11} Carlton House Terrace RSA House British Library Two Temple Place The National Gallery Chiswick House and Gardens Goldsmiths' Centre, The Somerset House Sir John Soane's Museum Science Museum Royal Opera House Royal Museums Greenwich RIBA at 66 Portland Place Royal Hospital Chelsea Whitechapel Gallery Royal Horticultural Halls Westminster Abbey Royal Geographical Society Wellcome Collection Venue Hire Wallace Collection RCP London Events (Royal College of Physicians) Royal Albert Hall V&A South Kensington Twickenham Stadium Royal Air Force Museum Trinity House Tower of London Tower Bridge Old Royal Naval College Tate Britain Syon Park St Paul's Cathedral St Martin-in-the-Fields Southwark Cathedral Spencer House Natural History Museum National Theatre National Portrait Gallery Museum of the Order of St. John Museum of London, Docklands Museum of London Museum of Brands The Honourable Society of The Middle Temple Lord's Cricket Ground London Transport Museum Kew Gardens Kensington Palace Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn Harrow School Hampton Court Palace Guildhall Foundling Museum Dulwich Picture Gallery the Design Museum Cutty Sark BAFTA 195 Piccadilly Banqueting House Chelsea Physic Garden Central Hall Westminster Freemasons’ Hall Christ Church Spitalfields

Beautiful Rooms - The Library, Royal Institution Venue

Thursday, February 11, 2021 - 11:30

On the first floor of our elegant Mayfair venue at the top of the Grand Staircase and looking out on to Albemarle street, is the Library. With booklined walls, busts and chandeliers the Library is a quintessentially period space designed to facilitate discussion and debate.

While it is currently a large space perfect for receptions, presentations or filming it may surprise you to learn that the Library was once two separate reading rooms. The circular mirror above the Library fireplace predates these modifications and has remained in place since the Royal Institution commissioned it in 1802 and has never been removed even during the 2006 – 2008 renovation project! Even the carpet relates to the scientific work of the Royal Institution, the delicate swirling pattern is in fact a representation of Faraday’s lines of force experiment. This experiment was designed to demonstrate the existence of an invisible magnetic field by using iron filings.

Image credit: Matt Chung

The Library has hosted to a variety of clients including Stella McCartney, London College of Fashion, Whizz Kids for London Marathon, London Tech Week, Fortnum and Mason and many others. The Library is a versatile space that can be transformed for any event whether that’s a corporate away day or luxury private dinners. The Library is one of the Royal Institution’s licenced wedding spaces available for cosy intimate weddings in the heart of Mayfair. It is even possible to hire the Library as a filming venue.

With its booklined walls, period features and prominent location, the Library at the Royal Institution venue is first choice for Central London private hire.

Image credit: Matt Chung

Contact the events team to discuss your future events: venuehire@ri.ac.uk