Institute of Contemporary Arts
/ About
The ICA has held Nash House on The Mall since 1968, in the terrace John Nash laid out for the Crown between 1827 and 1832. It was founded in 1946 by a group of artists and poets as an alternative to the mainstream, and what it has shown since runs from Picasso and Jackson Pollock to Basquiat, Damien Hirst and Stormzy. The Regency rooms on the upper floors keep their original plasterwork, and their floor-to-ceiling windows open onto three balconies above St James's Park.
Hire runs across the whole building rather than a single suite. The Nash and Brandon Rooms take 140 for dinner or 150 standing, and open through to the Upper Galleries for 250. Below ground, the theatre is the largest room in the building at 350 standing. The two screening rooms seat 185 and 45, the bar and cafe hold 180 across their two floors, and a Crown Estate garden on Carlton House Terrace opens from May to September.
For a building of this age and address, the ICA is unusually well set up for music. The Upper Galleries keep mirror balls and booth seating in place, there is an in-house DJ setup and PA with an ICA technician present whenever they are used, and the ICA programmes club nights and gigs alongside its exhibitions. Every space runs to 11pm. Catering, floristry and production go through the ICA's own list of approved suppliers, which the events team will introduce on enquiry.
/ Rooms Available
The Theatre
PrivateA black-box room below ground, and the largest space in the building: 200 for dinner, 350 standing. Lighting bars run the length of the ceiling and the floor is bare and level, so the room takes a dinner, a talk, a screening or a dancefloor with equal ease. Hire includes a PA, a projection screen, microphones and a pre-programmed lighting setup.
Cinema 1
PrivateThe main auditorium: 185 raked velvet seats, timber-lined walls and a stage in front of the screen, or 190 standing. Both ICA screens run 35mm as well as digital formats, and a technician comes with the room.
The ICA Bar
PrivateThe cafe bar, across two floors. The upper bar seats 40 or holds 60 standing; taken with the lower bar it holds 180.
Nash & Brandon Rooms
PrivateTwo interconnecting Regency rooms with original plasterwork and floor-to-ceiling windows onto three balconies above St James's Park. Taken together they seat 140 or hold 150 standing. The Nash alone takes 80 seated and 90 standing, the Brandon 60 either way, and adding the Upper Galleries brings the three to 250.
Waterloo Garden East
PrivateA Crown Estate garden on Carlton House Terrace, open from 1 May to 30 September and taking 150 standing. Used for drinks and receptions before an event moves inside.
The Upper Galleries
PrivateTop-floor white rooms under rooflights, hung for exhibitions most of the year and cleared for events. Mirror balls and booth seating stay in place unless you ask for them to come out. Sixty for dinner, 124 standing, or 250 taken with the Nash and Brandon Rooms below.
Cinema 2
PrivateThe smaller screening room, 45 seats. The same technical fit as Cinema 1, 35mm included, with a technician on the hire.
The Studio
PrivateA studio room on the ICA's hire list, taken alongside the bar and cafe.
/ Perfect For
/ Features
AV Equipment
- – DJ Booth
- – PA System
- – Projector
- – Microphone
- – Lighting Rig
Catering
- – External Catering Allowed
Licensing
- – Full Alcohol Licence
- – Music Licence
Venue Specs
- – Dedicated Events Team
- – Cloakroom
- – Wi-Fi
- – Outdoor Terrace
/ Getting Here
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