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Venues
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
Address: 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR - Entrance is via Exhibition Road
The Geographical Society of London was founded in 1830 as an institution to promote the advancement of geographical science. Under the patronage of King William IV, it later became known as The Royal Geographical Society and was granted its Royal Charter under Queen Victoria in 1859. In 1912, the Society moved to its current location, Lowther Lodge. In 1933, some fellows of the Society broke away to form an organisation called the Institute of British Geographers. The RGS and IBG co-existed for 60 years until 1994 when a merger was discussed. In January 1995, the new Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) was formed.
Lowther Lodge was designed by the architect Richard Norman Shaw and is one of the finest and most important examples of 19th century architecture in London built in ‘Queen Anne’ style. Since the Society opened its doors on 14 April 1913, a lecture theatre and library wing was added between 1928-30 by architects Kennedy and Nightingale. In 2001, the 750 seat lecture theatre was re-furbished and renamed ‘The Ondaatje Theatre’ in recognition of the benefactor Sir Christopher Ondaatje CBE. The conference and seminar facilities were renovated by StudioDownie in 2003 and in June 2004 a new glass pavilion opened to the public forming a new main entrance on Exhibition Road and providing access to the new Foyle Reading Room and an extensive controlled storage for the collection of maps, atlases, books, archives and artefacts.
Nearest public transport: South Kensington, High Street Kensington, Knightsbridge & Paddington Station
