Bishopsgate Institute
/ About
Bishopsgate Institute has stood two minutes from Liverpool Street since 1894, when it was erected for the benefit of the public. It is still an independent charity, still a library and an archive, and its Grade II* listed rooms are let for private hire; the income keeps the collections open.
The Great Hall is the reason to come. Parquet underfoot, a stage behind a curtain, a lighting rig overhead and a concert grand piano. It holds 400 for a reception and 150 at round tables, and the Institute's own copy invites guests to dance the night away. A floor above, the Upper Hall was originally the Ladies' Reading Room: a long, column-lined space full of daylight, often taken alongside the Great Hall.
The smaller rooms trade on the Victorian fabric. The Library is wood-panelled and red-walled, lined with rare reference material and the UK's largest LGBTQIA+ collection, and it takes 60 for a reception. The Boardroom, at the top of a sweeping staircase, has kept its panelling, high ceiling and ornate fireplace since the trustees first met there at the end of the 19th century. Hire runs through the Institute's own events team, and catering comes from an accredited supplier list.
/ Rooms Available
The Great Hall
PrivateThe Institute's principal room, and the one built for an audience. A parquet floor runs to a permanent stage set behind a curtain, with a lighting rig and a concert grand piano; the Hall has carried galas, lectures, concerts and parties for decades. It takes 400 standing and 150 at round tables, and the Upper Hall directly above is regularly hired alongside it.
The Upper Hall
PrivateOriginally the Ladies' Reading Room for the Library, and now a first-floor blank canvas: a long room lined with columns, full of daylight from both sides, reached by lift or by the tiled staircase. It configures in any number of ways and is often taken in conjunction with the Great Hall below.
The Library
PrivatePolished wood, rich red walls and green glass pendants, still working as a reference library and home to one of the country's most significant independent archives. It seats 100 at long tables and reads as the warmest room in the building.
The Courtyard Room
PrivateNamed for the hidden outdoor space it opens onto, a planted courtyard reached from the lower ground floor. The room itself is flexible and screen-equipped, and works for a smaller dinner or a workshop.
The Studio
PrivateSprung wooden floors and a mirrored wall, built for rehearsal. It runs as an audition, read-through and production room, and is offered as an add-on space alongside the Courtyard Room.
The Goss Room
PrivateA bright, plain lower-ground room with a kitchenette, used for rehearsals, recitals and smaller functions. Like the Studio, it can be added to a Courtyard Room hire.
The Townsend Room
PrivatePart of the former clerk's offices, now a small contemporary meeting room with current AV. It serves interviews, training days and break-out alongside the Boardroom, and is reached by stairs only.
The Boardroom
PrivateWhere the Institute's trustees have met since the end of the 19th century, at the top of a sweeping staircase. Wooden panelling, a high ceiling, an ornate fireplace and a chandelier; it takes a meeting that wants a sense of occasion, and has doubled as a filming location. Reached by stairs only.
/ Perfect For
/ Features
AV Equipment
- – Sound System
- – PA System
- – Stage
- – Lighting Rig
- – Projector
Licensing
- – Full Alcohol Licence
Venue Specs
- – Dedicated Events Team
- – High-Speed Wi-Fi
- – Wheelchair Accessible
- – Outdoor Terrace
/ Getting Here
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