Royal Geographical Society

Event SpaceUp to 700 guests

/ About

The Royal Geographical Society occupies Lowther Lodge, the red-brick Queen Anne mansion Richard Norman Shaw designed in 1874, standing on Kensington Gore opposite Hyde Park in South Kensington's museum quarter. The learned society, founded in 1830, has held the building since 1913, and its 2004 redevelopment added the Ondaatje Theatre, a 700-seat auditorium set behind the historic facade. The Grade II* listed rooms carry the Society's history of exploration on their walls, while the newer spaces bring modern conference and event facilities.

For hire, the building offers a spread of spaces. The Ondaatje Theatre seats up to 700 across a ground floor and balcony and holds full audiovisual systems for lectures, screenings and presentations; the adjoining Map Room, with tall windows over the garden, receives up to 150 guests standing for drinks and networking breaks. The Education Centre and Main Hall handle seated dinners, and four meeting rooms serve smaller sessions and breakouts. Catering runs through the Society's approved partner, the bar is licensed until 11pm, and a dedicated venue-hire team manages bookings from enquiry to event.

/ Rooms Available

Ondaatje Theatre

Exclusive Hire

Seats 700

A 700-seat auditorium added in the Society's 2004 redevelopment, arranged over a ground floor and balcony with a stage and full audiovisual systems. It comfortably holds around 450 for a full-day conference and is the venue's principal space for lectures, presentations and film screenings.

StageSound System

Map Room

Private

Up to 150

A reception room with tall windows looking out over the garden, hired as a package with the Ondaatje Theatre. It receives up to 150 guests standing and makes the setting for drinks and networking breaks alongside a theatre event.

Natural Light

Education Centre

Private

Seats 100

A bright, flexible space used for smaller conferences and seated dinners, taking up to 100 delegates lecture-style, 60 in cabaret, or 80 for a seated dinner with the Main Hall alongside for a drinks reception.

Flexible LayoutNatural Light

Main Hall

Private

Seats 42

The building's entrance hall, used for drinks receptions and intimate dinners of up to 42 on a single long table, with the Education Centre opening off it for pre-dinner drinks.

Period Architecture