Venues

IET London: Savoy Place The IET

Bricks and mortar
2 Savoy Place
London
Michael Faraday House
Six Hills Way made the structure…
WC2R 0BL Stevenage
SG1 2AY
T: +44 (0)20 7344 5479
E: enquiries@savoyplace.co.uk T: +44 (0)1438 313 311
www.savoyplace.co.uk www.theiet.org

IET Services Limited is registered in England. Registered office: Savoy Place, London, WC2R 0BL. Registration Number 909719. www.savoyplace.co.uk
IET Services Limited is a trading subsidiary of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, which is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698).
...but it took one hundred years to build the legacy
The IET celebrates 100 years at Savoy Place
A century ago, when electricity was the height of engineering technology, the leaders of what was to
become the IET were focused on the long view. In the early 1900s their membership was burgeoning.
It was time, they decided, to find a home.

The organisation began life in 1871 as the Society of Telegraph
Engineers to address the concerns of an emerging profession, and
it evolved to keep pace with the progress of technology. Within a
decade the scope of the Society had broadened beyond telegraphy to
encompass electrical science. The group twice changed its name to
reflect the advancement of electrical science and its growing importance.
The Society of Telegraph Engineers added “and of Electricians” to its
name in 1880. Then, in 1887, it became the Institution of Electrical
Engineers, highlighting its representation of electrical engineers
in England.
On 1 June 1909, with membership at more than 5,000 and growing,
the Institution took possession of its own building by purchasing the
remainder of a lease to a historic property on the Thames owned by the
Duchy of Lancaster. Savoy Place now stands on that site. It was built in
the 1880s to be an examination hall for the Royal College of Physicians
and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The Institution undertook
extensive refurbishment and major alterations of the building to suit the
needs of its members before it moved in. Some of these early changes
have been preserved and are still on view today.
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The Institution held its first Ordinary General Meeting here on 10
November 1910. It now has more than 150,000 members around the
world. The last name change came in 2006, when the Institution of
Electrical Engineers united with the Institution of Incorporated Engineers,
creating the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
The organisation has modified its goals over the years, but a common
thread runs through. The earliest statement of the Society’s objectives
declared its purpose as the general advancement of Electrical and
Telegraphic Science and facilitating the exchange of information
and ideas among its members. That ideal – advancing and sharing
knowledge about science, engineering and technology – remains central
to the IET’s purpose today.
2009 marks the centenary of the IET at Savoy Place. The Institution
notes the anniversary by honouring the history of this handsome building
and saluting the leaders who had the foresight to obtain it.
Michael Faraday statue outside Savoy Place
 The history of Savoy Place
Savoy Place has been the London home of the IET since 1909. The present building was designed by Stephen
Salter and H Percy Adams, architects, as a joint examination hall for the Royal College of Physicians and the
Royal College of Surgeons. The site however, has a much longer and more notorious history.

Engraved view of the Savoy from the River Thames
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The area of the Savoy manor takes its name from Peter, Count of Savoy,
who was given the land by Henry III in 1246. He built a palace on
this site but after his death in 1268 the property was left to a hospice
in France. However, his niece, Eleanor of Provence, Queen to Henry
III, bought back the land and it was then given to her son, Edmund
Plantagenet, the first Earl of Lancaster. Successive Earls of Lancaster
extended the site and furnished the Savoy Palace, culminating in the
efforts of John of Gaunt, using his booty from wars with France and
Spain.
During the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, both John of Gaunt and his palace
became a target. A crowd marched on London, burnt down the palace
and destroyed its contents. The palace was not restored but rather
modified to serve as a prison for the Duchy during the 15th century.
In 1509 Henry VII left a substantial amount of money in his will so that
the Savoy could be rebuilt as a hospital to accommodate 100 beds for
the lodging of poor folk to receive a bath, a night’s rest and medical care.
The hospital was completed in 1517 when the executors of Henry’s will
named it the Hospital of Henry VII King of England of the Savoy. Despite
initial good intentions, mismanagement and corruption sent the hospital
into decline. For the majority of the 17th century the Savoy Hospital was
not put to its intended use, housing wounded soldiers and eventually
being transformed into a military barracks and prison. The area further
deteriorated in the 18th century with houses appearing on the Strand,
in Duchy Lane and on the riverside. Religious institutions also appeared
such as a school of Jesuits and the area also provided a retreat for the
families of poor French Protestants. In 1723 a German Lutheran Church
was built on what is now part of the site occupied by the IET, but this was
demolished in 1877 to make way for the Victoria Embankment.
Parts of ancient Savoy remained until the beginning of the 19th century
but most buildings were swept away for the construction of Waterloo
Bridge (1811) and the Thames Embankment (1862). With this
regeneration the Savoy was finally returning to a place of prestige.
The building now occupied by the IET was originally built as a joint
Examination Hall for the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal

Colour postcard, undated, showing the first Waterloo Bridge from the South Bank
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College of Surgeons, completed in 1889 and designed to accommodate
600 candidates. The foundation stone, which can be seen on the
East side entrance of the building, was laid by Queen Victoria on 24
March 1886. It was further adapted in May 1887 to build classrooms,
laboratories and a lecture theatre on the vacant land adjacent to the
Examination Hall. Planning was hindered by neighbouring tenants
concerned that the buildings would obstruct their access to light.
However, with careful designing it was possible to build a wing on each
side of the main building and to connect these by two galleries
of rooms.
Between the years 1890 to 1902 much valuable work was done in these
laboratories. This included research on typhoid fever and in 1894 anti-
diphtheritic serum was manufactured and tested here. On 1 June 1909
The Institution of Electrical Engineers bought the remaining seventy-six
years of the ninety-nine year lease from the Duchy of Lancaster. The
Institution had been founded over 15 years before, in 1871, as the
Society of Telegraph Engineers. By the early 1900s the Institution had
over five thousand members and was collecting funds for the purchase
of its own building.
Since its construction in the late 19th Century the building has
undergone much refurbishment. Most of Savoy Place is now dedicated
to conference facilities and member activities. The IET has over 150,000
members and most of its administrative staff are based at Michael
Faraday House, a purpose-built office in Stevenage.
Before the IEE moved in to Savoy Place in 1910 alterations to the
building were carried out by H Percy Adams and Charles Holden. This
included renovation of the entrance hall, the lecture theatre and the
creation of a library from the long room on the first floor. In the late
1950s, Adams Holden and Pearson altered the façade and added the
top storey and entrance.
Behind Savoy Place is the building originally known as Lancaster
House, later Savoy Mansions. It was built in 1880 by the Savoy Building
Company and had a number of occupants: it housed ale and stout
merchants, the National Providence League, architects, solicitors and in
1884 Turkish baths were licensed in the basement.
In 1923, the newly formed British Broadcasting Company was offered
spare accommodation at Savoy Place for its broadcasts. It began leasing
seven rooms and quickly expanded, taking over the West Wing by the
end of the year. The BBC moved in to Savoy Mansions in 1925 and
renamed it Savoy Hill. ‘2LO’ broadcast from there until 1932. Savoy Hill
was bought by the Institution in 1984 and is now known as Savoy
Hill House.

A view of the Lecture Theatre today
7 8
The rooms at Savoy Place
Each room is named after a significant figure in the
IET’s history. More biographical information can be
found on the IET archives website at
www.theiet.org/archives
Entrance and Ground Floor
Michael Faraday
A statue of Michael Faraday stands by the entrance to Savoy Place.
Faraday is honoured for his ground-breaking discoveries in the science
of electricity, especially his discovery of electromagnetic induction in
1831. He is depicted holding an induction coil. A bust of Faraday can be
seen opposite that of Kelvin in the reception area on the left-hand side of
the lecture theatre.
Reception
Architecture
The entire reception area is lined with Pentelikon marble and decorated
with brass friezes. This work was carried out when the Institution first
acquired the building in 1909.
Presidents
Names of all of the Institution’s Presidents are carved on the rear
walls. Each new President’s name is carved and gilded after the official
announcement is made.
War memorials
Plaques on the walls next to the Lecture Theatre doors honour members
of the Institution who died in service. There is also a plaque dedicated
to members of the London Electrical Engineers.
Lord Kelvin
A bust of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs, sits near the right-
hand entrance to the Lecture Theatre.
Lecture Theatre
Design
Although this room has been modernised to meet the requirements of
current events, much of the original work carried out in 1909 can still
be seen. The room retains its original panelling and carved cartouches
made of Cuban mahogany, designed by W S Frith. The ceiling was
designed in the 1990s by artist Tony Raymond, and is based on an
engraving from William Gilbert’s De Magnete, published in 1600. The
fibre optic lights show the magnetic declination from 1871 (when the
Institution was founded) to 2001, with each light representing a decade.
 Portraits Faraday Room
Portraits of notable engineers and scientists are displayed on the theatre
walls. The subjects are: Named after Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the discoverer of
electromagnetic induction whose work laid the foundations
André Marie Ampère of electrotechnology.
John Hopkinson
Lord Kelvin
Michael Faraday
Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti
Lancaster Room
Alessandro Volta
Named after the Duchy of Lancaster, which owns the Savoy site.
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan
HM The Queen, the Duke of Lancaster, is also the patron of
Alexander Graham Bell
the Institution.

Common Room Maxwell Suite

This was also part of the 1909 building design, and had a ‘push-button’
Named after James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), pioneer of
service lift from the basement kitchens. On display is a group portrait of
electromagnetic field theory. In 1873, he published his celebrated
several past Presidents painted by June Mendoza.
Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, in which he presented his
equations for electromagnetic fields.

Kelvin Lounge
Named after Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), whose bust is displayed between
Siemens Room
the Archives exhibition cases. Lord Kelvin was acknowledged as the
Sir Charles William Siemens (1823-1883) was the first President of the
leader in his field during his lifetime. His inventions included telegraph
Institution in 1871-1872. In 1858, he set up the firm of Siemens and
instruments, notably the mirror galvanometer and other instruments
Halske, which became Siemens Brothers in 1865. He played a major
used on the first transatlantic telegraph cable. Kelvin influenced the
Portrait of Sir Charles William Siemens by Margaret Thomas, 1876 role in the telegraph industry, helping to set up the London-Bombay
work of James Clerk Maxwell and introduced the absolute (Kelvin) scale
telegraph network, and was involved in the emergence of electric
of temperature.
lighting and power industries.
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 First Floor
West Staircase
On the marble staircase leading to the Library there is a marble bust of
Sir Francis Ronalds. A pioneer in early telegraphy, he bequeathed his
library of rare books and archives to the Institution. named after Admiral the Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1900-1979), twice
Library
The Library was founded in 1880, and houses more than 65,000 books
and pamphlets and over 3,000 periodical titles.
This room retains most of its original 1909 design, although modern
refurbishment has added computer terminals, power points, reading
lamps at each desk and Wi-Fi access.
President’s Office
Faraday’s desk, on display in this office, was presented to the Institution
in memory of C H Merz, the electricity supply pioneer. This room also
contains an early electric clock manufactured by the Synchronome
Company.
Portrait of Mountbatten in full naval uniform
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Second Floor
Mountbatten Room
This room commemorates the Institution of Electronic and Radio
Engineers (IERE), which merged with the Institution in 1988. It is
President of the IERE.
Nuffield Room
This room commemorates the Institution of Manufacturing Engineers
(formerly the Institution of Production Engineers), which merged with the
Institution in 1991. William Richard Morris, Viscount Nuffield of Nuffield
(1877-1963) was President of the Institution from 1937-1939. The first
Morris Oxford car was produced in 1913 and by the 1920s Morris was
the foremost car manufacturer in Britain.
Thompson Room
This room is named after Silvanus Phillips Thompson (1851-1916),
whose papers and library are held at the Institution. Thompson is noted
for his work on a wide range of scientific subjects and his pioneering
activities in engineering education.
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 Appleton Suite
This members’ suite is named after Sir Edward Victor Appleton
(1892-1965), noted for his research into the upper atmosphere. In
1924, Appleton was appointed Professor of Experimental Physics at
King’s College London and between 1939 and 1949 was Permanent
Secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
In 1924, Appleton proved the existence of an electrified layer in the
upper atmosphere that reflected radio waves, first postulated by Oliver
Heaviside and A E Kennelly. He also discovered a second layer of the
ionosphere, often referred to as the Appleton layer. He was awarded the
Institution’s Faraday Medal in 1946 and was elected an Honorary Fellow
in 1952.
Watson-Watt Room
Named after Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt (1892-1973), who
played a major role in the development and introduction of radar during
World War II. He was appointed Scientific Adviser to the Air Ministry in
1940 and was knighted for his work on radar in 1942.
Sir Edward Appleton
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Third Floor
Riverside Room
In 1959, a third storey was added to the building, making room for a
refectory. This is now used for formal dinners and external events, with
the Blumlein Room acting as a dining room for staff and members.
The glass screens in the dining room were designed by Graham Jones
and created in association with Andrew Moore Associates. The panels
show images of scientific innovations, based on original illustrations.
The images are as follows:
• Directional magnetic fields
• Marconi transmitter used at Poldhu for the first
transatlantic wireless transmission
• Kilburn highest factor routine
• Binary computer program
• Edison’s patent for the electric light bulb
• Elements from Tesla’s complete polyphase
alternating current system
• Magnetic field diagrams
• Diagram from Noyce’s integrated circuit/chip
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 Blumlein Room More information on the history of the IET and Savoy
Place can be found on the IET Archives website
Dining room for staff and members, named after Alan Dower Blumlein
(1903-1942), who was killed in an air crash while testing the H2S radar
or by contacting the IET Library and Archives:
prototype. During his time working for EMI, Blumlein took out 132
patents, including a stereo recording system. On the outbreak of World
Archives
War II he started work on direction finding and radar. Blumlein was
responsible for the circuitry on the H2S project, an airborne radar system
Tel: +44 (0)20 7344 8436
which could guide an aircraft in flight.
Email: archives@theiet.org
Website: www.theiet.org/archives

Haslett Room Library

Dame Caroline Haslett (1895-1957) was first secretary of the Women’s Tel: +44 (0)20 7344 5461
Engineering Society in 1919 and President in 1941. This was a Society Email: libdesk@theiet.org
created to promote the study and practice of engineering among women. Website: www.theiet.org/library
Between 1924 and 1956 she was the first director of the Electrical
Association for Women, of which she was a joint-founder.
For conference and banqueting enquiries please contact:

Tel: +44 (0)20 7344 5479

Lovelace Room Email: enquiries@savoyplace.co.uk
Website: www.savoyplace.co.uk
Augusta Ada King (nee Byron), Countess Lovelace (1815-1852)
published her Notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine in 1843.
For IET Membership enquiries please contact:
In these notes, she described what can be termed the first computer
program. Lovelace also corresponded with other scientists of her day, Tel: +44 (0)1438 765 678
including Michael Faraday. She suffered from ill health and died in 1852 Website: www.theiet.org/membership
Countess Ada Lovelace from a portrait by Mary Remington at the National Portrait Gallery
at the age of 37.

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