Methodist Central Hall Westminster was opened in 1912 as a monument to mark the centenary of John Wesley's death (the founder of Methodism). The site was formerly occupied by the Royal Aquarium (primarily a music hall), which was purchased by money raised through a huge Methodist fund raising venture. The 'Wesleyan Methodist Twentieth Century Fund' (or the 'Million Guinea Fund' as it came to be known) opened in 1898 with the aim of raising a million guineas from a million Methodists to help facilitate a great push forward of Methodism. This fund closed in 1904 with just over a million guineas, a quarter of which was allocated to the design and construction of this centenary building. The remaining funds were invested in new Chapels, foreign and home missions, education, soldier's and sailor's homes, temperance work and children's homes.
The design for this 'monumental building of Methodism' was chosen from 132 entries in an anonymous architectural competition. The rules of the competition stated that the design had to be non-Gothic and the general philosophy of the Methodist movement was that buildings were not to resemble churches. The intention was to create non intimidating but welcoming buildings so that people who had no connections with the Christian church would feel comfortable and able to enter them. The winning design, submitted by Messrs Lancaster and Rickards of London, is in keeping with these ideas and if you look at the exterior of the building you will notice that no cross is visible, nor is there any overtly religious symbolism. The building itself is Viennese Baroque in style with Romanesque decoration. The poet Sir John Betjemen once praised the structure saying "The dome of Central Hall is a splendid foil to the towers of Westminster and the pinnacles of the Houses of Parliament".
Many distinguished visitors have graced Methodist Central Hall, including Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Billy Graham, the Queen, Prince Charles and Princess Diana. One of the most significant events to have been hosted here was the 1946 inaugural meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Prime Minister Clement Attlee welcomed delegates from all over the globe to Central Hall where 51 member countries took part. The United Nations Organisation returned to Methodist Central Hall in 1996 as part of their 50th Anniversary celebrations.
Despite its prominent Westminster location, Methodist Central Hall was barely damaged during the events of Word War II. The basement area (now the cafe area) became the largest air raid shelter in England, housing hundreds of people every night for the duration of the war.
In addition to these pages more information about the hall can be found at the Conference Centre Site.
