©Rory Mulvey, 2021
As part of the transformation of 195 Piccadilly, we fully restored its Grade II listed rooflights, two of which were covered and hidden from view above the Princess Anne Theatre on the second floor.
195 Piccadilly is part of the building originally constructed for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1883 by renowned architect ER Robson. The building was designed to combine offices, a public hall, commercial premises on the ground floor, and – crucially – exhibition galleries on the top floor for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours headquarters and gallery spaces occupied the second and third floors. These comprised three galleries, each with a large rooflight.
In 1975, shortly after BAFTA moved into 195 Piccadilly, a new 227-seat cinema was built, the Princess Anne Theatre, and two of the rooflights were covered to create a dark space for the theatre.
The Illuminating BAFTA campaign raised the roof, creating a new fourth floor and revealing the hidden rooflights for the first time since 1975.
