St John's, Smith Square

About

Smith Square Hall (formerly St John's Smith Square) is a concert hall in the centre of Smith Square, Westminster, London. Its name was changed by its current operator, Sinfonia Smith Square, in 2024. Originally a church, this Grade I listed building was designed by Thomas Archer and was completed in 1728 as one of the so-called Fifty New Churches. It is regarded as one of the finest works of English Baroque architecture, and features four corner towers and monumental broken pediments. It is often referred to as 'Queen Anne's Footstool' because as legend has it, when Archer was designing the church he asked the Queen what she wanted it to look like. She kicked over her footstool and said 'Like that!', giving rise to the building's four corner towers. Ruined following firebombing in the Second World War, it was sold to a charitable trust and restored as a concert hall.

In 1710, the long period of Whig domination of British politics ended as the Tories swept to power under the rallying cry of "The Church in Danger". Under the Tories' plan to strengthen the position of the Anglican Church and in the face of widespread damage to church buildings after a storm in November...