I’ve often visited the Canada House Gallery as it’s just opposite the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing entrance but had never been inside Canada House itself so I leapt at the chance when a friend invited me to join her for a building tour.
Upon entering you see the accustomed grand hallway, though the current entrance is not the original one. It was formerly the Royal College of Surgeons before expanding to the neighbouring building. The photo below is of the original doorway, now used as a display area and to the left as you walk in.
The building is Neo-classical in style in keeping with its location and I enjoyed the way Canadian contemporary art and design has been integrated into the interior.
I first spotted this Bocci chandelier at the V&A years ago during the annual London Design Week so it was satisfying to see a version installed in the main stairwell.
Chandeliers and rugs are quite a feature within Canada House: the great advantage for a listed building is that they can be installed without any changes required to the fabric of the building. Some, llike this one, are more traditional
while others have a very different feel. This room, directly overlooking Trafalgar Square, is where official photos are taken.
Each public room is named after a province and has specific artwork associated with it which is a lovely thing to explore.
Up at the top you have wonderful views of central London
and can see the beehives. The hives at Canada House produce only enough honey for internal purposes so it is unfortunately not for general sale.
There also is a roof terrace (closed to the public) facing the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery.
I discovered that the the O and E have been designed to work with the changing angles of the facade – never noticed from ground level.
Use this link to book a visit.