Imperial College Queen's Tower

Imperial Institute: A Brief History

The Imperial Institute building was designed by T.E. Collcutt (who won the competition to design the institute) in the Neo-Renaissance style. It is known for its symmetrical plan, strong building profile, 700 ft long front with a large central tower (Queen's Tower) and two smaller towers at the east and west ends. His feature trademark are the horizontal stripes of brick through stone, which you can also see at the Palace Theatre in West End. Above the entrance door, it said “Strength and Honour are her clothing”.

The Queen's Tower is all that remains of the Imperial Institute. The Institute was founded on Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, after the Imperial Exhibition (hence the name Exhibition Road). Its purpose was to encourage scientific research relevant to all countries of the British Empire.

The Imperial Institute was established by Royal Charter for the purpose of carrying out research into the resources and raw materials of the Empire and to provide a meeting place for overseas visitors.

It contained a library, laboratories, conference rooms, and exhibition galleries with gardens at the rear. The grounds used to be the Royal Horticultural Gardens, which were closed in 1882. Construction work took six years, and the Institute was opened in 1893. 

From the outset, the Institute was not a great success, and in 1899, the University of London took over half of the building as administrative offices. This arrangement continued until 1936 when they moved to their present site in Bloomsbury. When construction began on the grand Imperial Institute in 1887, fears were already being expressed that it would turn into a wasteful white elephant.

Throughout its life, the Imperial Institute was much maligned, and many of its rooms, halls, and dark places where the sun did not reach stood empty and cold. They were simply too large to be of any real use. No one seemed to know what it could be used for - or even what the aspirations of its many temporary occupants were. The only successful long-term occupants seemed to be the birds that happily nested in the building’s lofty rafters!

In a parliamentary debate on the Institute in 1956, Lord Beveridge shared his own experience of working in the Collcutt building thirty years prior as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London: “May I say, again with diffidence, that probably I am one of the very few members of this House today who worked in the Collcutt building thirty years ago when I was Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. I will not say much of the somewhat bizarre experience of working there in the best room, twenty feet high and twenty-six feet wide, with no sunlight in it at any time. That was the room that Collcutt had provided for me.”, he said, reflecting on the building's impracticality. Lord Beveridge. Parliament debate on the Institute, 13 March 1956.

Despite its struggles and eventual demise, the Imperial Institute's legacy lives on through the Queen's Tower, which still stands today under the care of Imperial College (open to visit by members of Imperial College). Visitors can view the tower from various points around London and admire its beautiful neo-renaissance architecture and intricate brickwork.

The Restoration of the Queen’s Tower 

Preserving the Legacy of the Imperial Institute

In 1893, the Imperial Institute was built in South Kensington, London. Its imposing facade was an expression of the British Empire's confidence at the height of its power. However, financial difficulties and changing attitudes towards colonialism soon led to the Institute's decline. By the time the Second World War broke out, the building was virtually abandoned, its exhibition galleries deserted, and various government agencies taking up residence there.

In 1953, the government announced plans for the expansion of Imperial College, which would entail demolishing the Imperial Institute. Plans to demolish the Institute were put forward in 1956, which caused public outrage. The tower itself would have been demolished along with the rest of the Institute, had it not been for a public campaign led by the then Poet Laureate, and supporter of 19th-century architecture, John Betjeman. The Royal Fine Arts Commission and other bodies opposed this move too, resulting in the decision to retain the central tower. One man, Brigadier Arthur Fortescue, was so appalled by the demolition that he rescued decorative stonework from the site. However, even this decision was not without controversy, with some critics dismissing the tower as useless and hoping for its collapse. 

Partial demolition began in 1957, and by 1958 the Imperial Institute was renamed the Commonwealth Institute. It moved to Holland Park, on the site of the current Design Museum, in 1962. Despite the opposition, work on the tower's structural foundations began in 1966, and it was finally restored in 1969, along with the construction of the Central Library building and the Great Hall. 

So the tower had to be reinforced with a new base and foundations - this was carried out in part by the same people who straightened the leaning of Pisa tower (and under the advice from Professor Alec Skempton - whose name can now be found whose name can now be found in Imperial College’s Skempton building). 

The main demolition work of the Imperial Institute took place between 1958 and 1967, and from 1966 to 1968, a significant amount of structural engineering was needed to ensure that the tower could stand alone -- this included a costly reopening of the quarry for new Portland stones -- as the final bits of the Institute were pulled away from it – March 1966. This involved creating massive foundations and substantially rebuilding the lower portion of the tower. At this time the tower was extensively underpinned and stiffened with concrete ring beams, and now sways much less (currently 8 mm at ringing chamber level) than before the demolition. 

Since then, the Queen's Tower has been in the custody of Imperial College and can be seen from various points around London. Despite the Institute's demolition, some of its original features have been preserved and can still be enjoyed by visitors to the Queen's Tower.

Today, the Queen's Tower stands as a testament to the Imperial Institute's legacy, although it is the only surviving part of the original building. 

Preserving historic buildings like the Queen's Tower is important to maintain a connection with the past and to understand the societal and cultural values of the time they were built. The restoration of the Queen's Tower demonstrates the importance of recognising the cultural value of historic buildings and the commitment required to preserve them for future generations.

Inside Queen's Tower

Entrance area

Near the entrance to the tower are two large stone lions. These are two of the four lions which flanked the entrance to the Imperial Institute. The other two are now at the Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park.

On the lower staircase walls is a display of terracotta medallions commemorating famous scientists. The building used to house a marble statue of Queen Victoria. Commissioned by London University in 1888 to mark the Golden Jubilee, it remained there when the University administration moved to Bloomsbury in 1936. The statue was moved to Imperial's Main Entrance in the late twentieth century.

The lower balcony

The lower balcony of the Queen's Tower at Imperial College features a collection of stone sculptures and engravings that were likely relocated from different parts of the original Imperial Institute. The Institute underwent various changes in administration and committees of enquiry between 1902 and 1953, with the Board of Trade, the Colonial Office, the Department of Overseas Trade and Ministry of Education all taking turns to run it.

Water tank

Half way up the Tower one can see the remnants of the water tank for the Imperial Institute. The tank itself has gone but the massive compound beams which supported it remain.

Viewing gallery

The viewing gallery presents an unrivalled panorama of London. The absence of tall buildings in the vicinity of the Tower means that there is an uninterrupted view of London in all directions. It is estimated that the furthest visible point is 20 miles away in good viewing conditions. 

The dome

The internal wooden structure of the dome is an interesting example of Victorian craftsmanship. On the upper stone cornice are inscribed the names of those who built the tower and an inscription which reads:

"The stones on this top cornice of the Queen's Jubilee tower were fixed on the 17th day of November 1892 by the persons whose names appear on them and who have all been closely associated with the work from its commencement."

Belfry and Alexandra Peal of Bells

The Belfry at Imperial College London houses the Alexandra Peal of bells, which consist of 10 bells and were a gift to Queen Victoria from an Australian millionaire, Elizabeth M Millar of Melbourne in 1892. Although the tower now belongs to Imperial College, the bells remain the property of the Monarch. It is not clear whether the Institute was originally planned to have either tower or bells; the foundation stone was laid in 1887, but Collcutt’s drawing of the tower is dated 1888 and makes no reference to a bell installation.

Each bell is separately named after members of the Royal family. Queen Victoria - the tenor (largest) bell - the Prince and Princess of Wales (Albert Edward and Alexandra), two other children of Queen Victoria (Alfred and Arthur) and the five Wales grandchildren (Albert Victor, George, Louise, Victoria and Maud). The bells are rung on Royal anniversaries and on the dates of the Imperial College degree ceremonies.

The first peal rung on the Alexandra Peal was Stedman Caters on 9th August 1902, for the coronation of Edward VII. Only 31 peals have been rung on the bells since then, with the last successful peal rung in 1964. The footnote to the 1924 peal hints at the obstacles to ringing peals there and the ingenuity of ringers in overcoming them: “This peal was rung to celebrate the official opening of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley, by His Majesty George V, and was organised by special permission of the First Commissioner of His Majesty’s Works”. The 1964 peal was “Rung as a compliment to HRH Prince Charles on his 16th birthday anniversary” and was probably thought to be the last ever attempt on the bells, the building being derelict.

Imperial College has proved to be a more amenable custodian than the Ministry of Works, with peal attempts now permitted annually on Christmas Eve.

The bells are collectively known as the "Alexandra Peal" or "Alexandra Ring", and were cast by Taylors in 1892. They are the 4th heaviest ring of 10, with a tenor of 38 cwt 1 qr 15 lb (1,950 Kg) in D-flat. Each bell has 2 string lines above and below the shoulder inscription, 3 strings on the waist, and 2 strings on the soundbow.

The bells were rehung between 1977 and 1984 following a lost peal for the Queen's Silver Jubilee, and now hang on iron headstocks fitted with ball bearings. On rehanging the front four in 1980 the canons were removed; the other six bells were not cast with canons. The frame is a combination of wood and cast iron, with all the bells hung on one level.

The bells are currently rung for various Royal and College occasions, including the anniversary of the Queen's Accession, the Queen's Birthday, the Duke of Edinburgh's Birthday, the Princess Royal's Birthday, and the Prince of Wales's Birthday. Additionally, a peal attempt is made annually on Christmas Eve.

• University of London Society of Change-Ringers (12 noon to 1pm) 

• The anniversary the Queen’s Accession, 6th February 

• The birth of the third child of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, (date to be advised) 2018 • The Queen’s Birthday, 21st April 

•  Imperial College Posgraduate Degree Ceremony, Wednesday 2nd May 2018 

• The 125th anniversary of the opening of The Imperial Institute, Thursday 10th May 2018 

•  The anniversary the Queen’s Coronation, 2nd June (likely to be a quarter peal attempt in 2018) 

• The Duke of Edinburgh’s Birthday, 10th June (likely to be a quarter peal attempt in 2018) 

• The Princess Royal’s Birthday, 15th August 

• Imperial College Commemoration Day (and Undergraduate Degree Ceremonies), Wednesday 17th October 2018 

• The Prince of Wales’s Birthday, 14th November 

• The Queen’s Wedding Anniversary, 20th November 

•  Annual Peal Attempt, (usually) 24th December

Facts and figures

• The Queen’s tower is 287 ft / 87 m tall, clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper covered dome

• There are 324 steps from the ground to the base of the dome. Much of the route to the top is via narrow spiral staircases

• In good conditions you can see 20 miles

• Construction work took six years, and the Institute was opened in 1893. 

• Near the entrance to the tower are two large stone lions. These are two of the four lions which flanked the entrance to the Imperial Institute

• Halfway up the tower are the remnants of the water tank for the Imperial Institute.

• The tower was aligned with the Albert Memorial, Royal Albert Hall, Royal College of Music and the Natural History Museum to form a beautiful north-south axis through Albertropolis. In fact, strong symmetry and proportion was a running theme of neo-renaissance architecture. Looking at the Queen's Tower, it is not hard to notice it's rotational symmetry and the symmetric geometric within each of it's four faces. This in turn echoes with the scientific observations of the order of nature, an elegant manifestation of the dedication of the Imperial Institute to sciences.