Mansion House is the residence of the Lord Mayor of London’s financial district, the City of London. It was designed by George Dance and houses entertainment rooms, a former prison, and a collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings. The building is open for public visits once a week. The Lord Mayor hosts foreign dignitaries and local businessmen in numerous meeting rooms and entertaining spaces, including the ornate Egyptian Room. The building also has prison cells and can be visited as part of a guided tour once a week, except in August.
Mansion House is the residence of the Lord Mayor of London’s financial district, known as the City of London. It was designed by architect George Dance and completed in 1758. As well as providing a place for the Lord Mayor of the City of London to live, Mansion House also serves as a space where he can entertain guests such as foreign dignitaries and high-level business representatives locals. In addition to its entertainment rooms, the building also houses a former prison and an important collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings. It is open for public visits once a week.
The City of London is the name given to the financial district of London. This area functions somewhat like a village within a city and as such has its own police department, education services, court and a range of other services typically associated with a local government. A key civic position within the City of London is that of the Lord Mayor, a figure who acts as a representative of British business interests at home and abroad. Mansion House serves as both a residence and entertainment space for the mayor during his term.
British architect George Dance designed Mansion House in the 18th century. Construction on the building began in the 18th. The first Lord Mayor of the City of London to occupy Mansion House, Sir Crispin Gascoigne, moved into the building in 1739, although building work was not fully finished until 1752.
One of the mayor’s main duties is to host foreign dignitaries and local businessmen for dinners, galas and meetings. As a result, numerous meeting rooms and entertaining spaces are located within the Mansion House. Perhaps the highlight of these entertaining spaces is the Egyptian Room, a very large and ornate room that features Corinthian columns and intricate stained glass. This room is spacious enough to host seated dinners for up to 500 people.
Another interesting feature of the Mansion House is its prison cells, which are located in the cellar of the building. These cells provided space for prisoners during an era when the building also served as a courthouse for the City of London, a function it no longer serves. It also houses a renowned collection of works by 17th-century Dutch painters.
Although Mansion House is almost always closed to the public, it can be visited once a week as part of a guided tour. Visitors are typically shown some of its entertainment rooms and art collection, though the exact tour route must be planned based on any events taking place in the building that day. It should be noted that the building is usually closed for visits during the month of August.
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