Headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England Freemasons’ Hall is the principal meeting place for Masonic Lodges in London. They built the first Grand Lodge on Great Queen Street in 1775. The present Freemasons’ Hall being the third building on the site and built between 1927–1932 as a memorial to the Freemasons who died in the First World War.
Fully open to the public, the Grade II* listed Freemason’s Hall is regarded as one of the finest art déco buildings in England. As well as the magnificent Grand Temple, which seat 1700, there are a further 21 Lodge Rooms, used by over 1,000 lodges, a world class library and museum. The building also houses Board and Committee Rooms and administrative offices.
Few realise that many of the TV productions and films they watch include scenes which were filmed in Freemasons’ Hall. To list a few Poirot and Jeeves and Wooster, the award-winning Churchill: The Gathering Storm, Shackleton The Lost World; Also pop promo videos, including Westlife’s Mandy, to every episode of Spooks, Hustle, the Girl in the café and Friends and Crocodiles.
Feature films include Wings of a Dove, Cody Banks 2, Johnny English, The Saint, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Basic Instinct II: Risk Addiction, Penelope. The building was also used as the backdrop for the 2006 Aquascutum campaign.
There have also been events including product launches, fashion shows, conferences, drink receptions and dinner dances. Events including film premiere parties for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, King Kong and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
In 2003, 2004 and 2005, Freemasons’ Hall was nominated by the industry as one of the top London locations for availability, accessibility and services offered to film makers. In 2005 Freemasons’ Hall hosted events for London Fashion Week and the Lancome Design Awards. Then in 2006 Julien MacDonald Fashion Show and the Alternative Hair Show.