The Royal College of Music, located in one of London's most iconic areas, has welcomed numerous prominent musical figures since its founding in 1882.
Cunningham Stone is proud to have been awarded the design, supply, and installation package for stonemasonry and brickwork for this prestigious project. The scope of our work included the creation of a beautiful new courtyard where students can unwind, featuring multiple stonemasonry elements such as ashlar cladding, cornices, molded strings, and a commemorative plaque. Additionally, we undertook complex bricklaying, a skill we hadn’t utilized in years, prompting us to seek out some of the most skilled bricklayers in London. This included the construction of elegant brick arches.
Inside the building, we designed, supplied, and installed exquisite Portland natural stone balustrades, staircases, and door surrounds. All of these features were crafted in our factory in Saintfield, Northern Ireland, by our exceptionally talented local stonemasons. They were then carefully packed onto pallets and transported to central London, where our skilled site team expertly fitted them.
Check out our process here.
The Royal College of Music is rich in history, having welcomed some of the most notable figures in music to refine their skills within its walls. Established by royal charter in 1882, the College was created in 1883 as a successor to the short-lived National Training School of Music (NTSM). The concept for the NTSM was initially proposed by the Prince Consort several decades before its opening. While major European cities had established conservatoires to train aspiring musicians, London’s existing Royal Academy of Music did not adequately prepare professional musicians. By 1870, it was noted that fewer than ten percent of instrumentalists in London orchestras had been trained at the academy.
As with every project we undertake, we owe immense gratitude to our outstanding production and site teams. We are thrilled with the results of this project, and the Royal College of Music will be a proud addition to our portfolio, with photographs that will adorn the walls of our factory for years to come.
The College’s new facilities where opened by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on Thursday the 2nd of December where he remarked: “In 1882, my great great grandfather, the then Prince of Wales and future King Edward VII, founded the Royal College of Music, with a vision that the College should be the recognised centre and head of the musical world. I need hardly say that I am enormously proud of the unique place the College continues to hold in Britain’s musical and cultural life, and across the globe.” Read more.
