South Africa House London, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

1900/72/150 TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2 1900/83/1 South Africa House 09-MAR-82

II*

South African High Commission, formerly the embassy of the Union of South Africa. 1931-1933 by Sir Herbert Baker FRIBA (1862-1946) and Alexander Thomson Scott (1887-1962). Steel frame, infilled with reinforced concrete panels and faced with Portland stone, set on a granite base. Classical style, with arts and crafts-inspired carved details of indigenous beasts and symbols of South Africa. Trapezoidal plan with three frontages, rounded corner at south end. Accommodation arranged over 7 storeys: staff rooms and offices on the upper floors; High Commissioner's suite on first floor; entrance hall, reading room and reception rooms on the ground floor; exhibition space and cinema, on lower floors.

EXTERIOR: 7 storeys, including 2 attic storeys above cornice and balustrade. Main elevation: 13 windows wide with 3 in the central bay; 5-window return on north elevation; 4-window return on south elevation. Apex at southern end, on corner of Trafalgar Square and Strand, comprises a convex screen of Corinthian columns rising through the first and second storeys, with a concave, recessed attic storey. The ground floor has channelled rustication, with ashlar quoins. It becomes two storeys to the south, owing to sloping site. On the attic storeys, the central bay comprises a pedimented open loggia with two Ionic columns in antis. Below this, four Corinthian columns support a projecting balcony and, in turn, rest on a projecting base, which forms the main entrance. On the north side, there is a plainer facade which fronts offices unrelated to those of the South African High Commission. Bronze metal sash windows with small panes, in single and double sized openings. EXTERIOR DECORATIVE PROGRAMME: Symbols of native flora and fauna: keystones carved with mimosa, protea and crinum; sill brackets carved with the heads of elephants, wildebeest, lion and antelope; heraldic devices, all carved in Portland stone by Joseph Armitage (1880-1945) to the designs of Sir Charles Wheeler RA (1892-1974). Gilded springbok above entrance at south corner also by Wheeler. Carving of the ship Goede Hoop in the upper pediment; below, the coats of arms of the provinces comprising the Union of South Africa, and the Southern Cross, by Armitage. In southern-most bay, a stone niche containing a life-sized statue of the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeo Diaz, carved in situ by Coert Steynberg (1905-1982).

INTERIOR: Entrance Hall: Vestibule and hall with two domes, leading to main staircase. Extensively marbled with South African marble and stones, white, green and grey from northern Transvaal, and quartz. Inlaid stones from Witwatersrand; red jasper, granite, verdite, crocodilite and serpentine. The two domes contain the mottoes, seals and coats of arms of the constituent parts of South Africa, with lettering and carving by Lawrence Turner (fl.1925-35). The twin domes represent the old Dutch republic and the British colonies forming the former Union of South Africa with the motto 'EENRAGT MAAKT MAGT' ('Unity is Strength'). Original pendant light fittings. Wrought-iron balusters to the staircase feature the protea flower, and were designed by Charles Wheeler. First floor lobby, room 406: small lobby adjoining High Commissioner's room. Teak beamed ceiling. Fine mural extends from floor to ceiling on all wall spaces: fresco paintings (i.e. egg tempera on plaster). Signed and dated on a painted tablet: 'Eleanor Esmonde-White and LeRoux Smith LeRoux AD 1938'. Scenes depict the life of the Amazulu, including the Feast of First Fruits, the largest scene on the wall facing the windows. First floor library: Panelled in Burma teak with carved wooden screens above the doors depicting protea and arum lily, and decorative plaster ceiling, all by Lawrence Turner. Murals by J. H. Amshewitz (1882-1942) depicting the travels of Diaz and Vasco da Gama. High C