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John Nash’s new Argyll Rooms, concert and assembly rooms, opened on Regent and Argyll Streets in 1820 as part of his development of London’s Regent Street. Occupying the corner of Regent and Argyll Streets, the building was designed by John Nash and erected as part of his Regency Street development. The Argyll Rooms contained an eight-hundred-seat concert hall, an assembly room, and a smaller concert room. For the duration of its tenure, the building served as the home of the Philharmonic Society, and it was a popular destination for concerts, masquerades, and balls. Major events in its history include the British premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth (Choral) Symphony in 1825, Felix Mendelssohn’s first London concert in 1829, and visits by Ludwig Spohr in 1820. The building was struck by fire in 1830 and was never rebuilt.

The elevation facing Regent Street is comprised of two distinct sections connected by an entrance bay. The five-bay building to the left has two stories of large windows set behind a screen of termini supporting a stone balcony. To the right, a semicircular corner is ornamented with unfluted Corinthian columns and a smooth dome. The curving corner successfully masks the irregular shape of the site. The building was erected from 1819 to 1820 following this design.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2014