Somerset House

Somerset House is a Georgian structure which was built to be a grand public building to house various government and public benefit society offices.  It is the site for various organisations and companies most of which are of the arts and education background and is home to the UK’s largest creative community.

Somerset House, designed by Sir William Chambers in 1776, belonged to the Duke of Somerset and was built on the site of a Tudor palace. In 1831 and 1856 it was extended with Victorian outer wings to the east and west.  

Somerset House is now a large Neoclassical complex ideally situated on the south side of the Strand in Central London.