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Architectural Elements

1846-1849 (made)
Artist/Maker
Dewer (supplier)
Bunning, J.D. (architect)
Place of origin
London (made)

Prince Albert opened a new Coal Exchange building on 30th October 1849 in the City of London, which replaced an building which had been erected in 1805. The Exchange was designed to provide a place of business where the buyers and sellers of coal were able to exchange contracts. The new building was designed by James Bunstone Bunning and was one of the most remarkable and celebrated cast iron interiors in the world. However, it was demolished in 1962 in order for a road widening scheme to take place. The V&A has four sections of the building (Museum nos. Circ.168&A-C-1963) as well as a desk stand (M.52-1963). The RIBA collection based at the V&A has an architectural model of the building (LOAN:RIBA.9-2003).

Object details

Categories
Architectural Fittings
Ironwork
Metalwork
Object type
architectural elements
Materials and techniques
Cast iron
Iron
Casting
Brief description
Supporting pier (left side), cast iron, from The Coal Exchange, London, England, 1846-49
Physical description
Supporting cast iron pier (one of a pair) from left side of the structure as you would have faced it within the building, from The Coal Exchange, London, formerly in Upper Thames St, opposite Billingsgate Market.
Dimensions
  • Length: 200.7cm
  • Width: 58.4cm
Association
Summary
Prince Albert opened a new Coal Exchange building on 30th October 1849 in the City of London, which replaced an building which had been erected in 1805. The Exchange was designed to provide a place of business where the buyers and sellers of coal were able to exchange contracts. The new building was designed by James Bunstone Bunning and was one of the most remarkable and celebrated cast iron interiors in the world. However, it was demolished in 1962 in order for a road widening scheme to take place. The V&A has four sections of the building (Museum nos. Circ.168&A-C-1963) as well as a desk stand (M.52-1963). The RIBA collection based at the V&A has an architectural model of the building (LOAN:RIBA.9-2003).
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Henry Russell Hitchcock, "London Coal Exchange", The Architectural Review, Vol. CI (January-June, 1947), pp.185-187. ill.
  • E. Graeme Robertson and Joan Robertson, Cast Iron Decoration, A World Survey, London, Thames and Hudson, 1977. p.27, ill. figs. 66 & 65. ISBN: 0500232547
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
CIRC.168A-1963

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Record createdApril 23, 2019
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1489570/architectural-elements-bunning-jd/
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