The Institute Building. 25 



v.— THE INSTITUTE BUILDING. 



In the year 1869 the Institute occupied two rooms in the Westminster Piilace Hotel, 

 temporary office-room having been previously given in Victoria Chambers by Sir 

 George Verdon, a Member of the Council. In the following year, rooms were acquired 

 at 20, Suffolk Street, Pall Mall East. In 1871 the subject of house accommodation was 

 again considered, and on November 20 of that year three rooms, constituting the first 

 floor of 15, Strand, were engaged at an annual rental of £150. This accommodation 

 was extended by taking in the upper floor of that house on January 7, 1873. 



In the year 1883 it was decided to acquire a permanent home for the Institute in 

 lieu of the very inadequate premises hitherto occupied. The lease of a site in Northum- 

 berland Avenue — the freehold of which has since been purchased — was secured, and, 

 after a total expenditure of £50,000, part of the present substantial and commodious 

 building was occupied in 1885. 



The growing importance of the Institute, the widening of its scope, and increase of 

 its membership rendered extension of the premises in occupation a matter of pressing 

 Urgency, and in June 1910 the opportunity was afforded to absorb and consolidate 

 the whole property for the use and benefit of the Fellows. 



Under a reconstruction scheme the premises in Northumberland Avenue were 

 almost entirely rebuilt, with the idea of providing more suitable and adequate accom- 

 modation. As a result, instead of the seven inconveniently small and inappropriate 

 rooms formerly available, there are twenty-five well-equipped rooms, and the building 

 as it how stands consists of five stories apportioned as follows : In the basement is 

 the parliamentary library, library store-rooms, and the Advertisement Department 

 for the Journal, together with lavatories, &c. On the ground floor is the entrance- 

 hall, on the left of which is a general-room in which stiioking is allowed and the daily 

 papers, writing materials, &c., are available. On the right is a reception-room in which 

 ladies, as well as the Fellows, can obtain tea and coffee, and meet their friend;^: ' On 

 the right again are the hall porter's lodge where Fellows obtain their correspond- 

 ence, and the general office, in which is the chief clerk's room. On the mezzanine 

 floor is the Secretary's department. The general library occupies the whole of the 

 first floor. On the half-landing between the first and second floors is the law library 

 and map-room. On the second floor, occupying the whole of the frontage to 

 Northumberland Avenue and the portion of the Craven Street premises, is the news- 

 paper-room, a spacious apartment in which the newspapers, official gazettes, &c., 

 from all parts of the Empire are regularly filed. On the third floor are the council- 

 room and smoking-room, and on the fourth floor the editorial department, the Empire 

 lectures department, the Trade and Industry Committee, the Organisation Committee, 

 the Information Bureau, a typewriting room for the use of the Fellows where letters 

 can be dictated and typed, and the housekeepers quarters. 



