When the Strand Music Hall opened in 1864, it caused a storm in the architectural press. In a letter to the Building News, leading ecclesiastical architect J.P. Seddon condemned its “eccentric proportions” and “puerilities in the details”. Many others wrote in, and although they varied in their reasoning, they largely reached a similar conclusion: the building, especially its exterior, was simply ugly.

The architect, Bassett Keeling, replied that he was not aiming at “the smooth and limpid harmony” of good taste. Rather, he sought an effect that drew attention. He said it would indeed be unfortunate if many buildings like this were built, but no one could deny its originality.

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