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The Music Room

Discover the historic home of the British Academy, the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences.

The Music Room at the British Academy
The Music Room, the British Academy, Wright & Wright Architects; image credit: Hufton + Crow (2024).

The Music Room derives its name from the representation of musical instruments in its ornamental plasterwork.

To enhance the space, a conservatory was built on the balcony to mirror that of No. 10. It was however, damaged by a bomb during the Second World War and never rebuilt. You can see the equivalent structure for No. 10 in the Council Room.

It is believed that the Music Room was redecorated around 1900 when Arthur Guinness and his family lived at No. 11. The room is not dissimilar to the ballroom at Farmleigh House in Dublin, which was owned by Arthur’s brother, Edward Guinness. Both rooms are decorated in the style of Louis XVI, which was popular in the Edwardian era, and feature the same swags of musical instruments. It is not known which room was decorated first.

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