Banqueting House - Whitehall

The Banqueting House (Whitehall) is a historic building in London and the only building that was not destroyed by the fire of the old Whitehall Palace in 1698. It is located in Whitehall Street, close to the Trafalgar Square. The name of the building refers to numerous banquets and parties which were held there in the past. Whitehall Palace, to which the Banqueting House belonged, was the official residence of the English monarchy from 1530 till 1698.

The building, designed by Inigo Jones, was the first English building to be constructed in the neo-classical style. The idea was to create an isolated room in the palace where the king could enjoy some peace and quiet, away from the strict and rigorous public life. The building contains elements characteristic of the Italian Renaissance. It was one of the first buildings built in the 17th century to incorporate glass windows as an insulator. It has a flat roof topped by a balustrade and its main façade has Doric and Ionic columns. Inside the Banqueting House there are two rooms, one downstairs and the other one, which was used as a banquet hall, on the top floor. Underneath the ground floor there is a complex of cellars which were used by James I as his private rooms.