-
Roof of 21 Moorfields courtesy Master Architect -
Rory Fraser and Chris Bicknell, Master Architect -
Sculpture by Anish Kapoor -
Kit Kat Club and Pipe Maker 1730s -
Canapes for all courtesy Master Architect
Vanburgh Meets Moorfields and the Kit Kat Club
15th June 2026The 2026 Milo Lecture
I am realising just how lucky I am to be Master of a Livery Company. On Monday 15 June, at the kind invitation of the Architects' Company, I joined a gathering of Masters and other guests at Deutsche Bank's headquarters at 21 Moorfields, which the Architects judged their 2025 City Building of the Year.
We were there for the 2026 Milo Lecture, held in the building's spectacular auditorium as part of The Georgian Group's Vanbrugh 300 series, marking three centuries since the death of Sir John Vanbrugh: playwright, soldier and architect – proof that portfolio careers are not quite as modern as we like to think.
The speaker was Rory Fraser, whose entertaining lecture – more conversation than presentation – explored Vanbrugh's contribution to British architecture and the lasting influence of his work. We also heard from audience member Sir Charles Saumarez Smith, architectural historian and author of the recent biography John Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architecture.
The contrast was apparent from the moment of arrival. Dominating the reception area is a striking stainless-steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor, a reminder that ambitious buildings and ambitious art have always gone hand in hand.
The setting could hardly have been more different from the buildings under discussion. Vanbrugh's great country houses and baroque masterpieces – Castle Howard, Blenheim Palace and others – were being considered inside one of the City's newest commercial landmarks, a building of glass, steel and engineering ingenuity that would have fascinated Vanbrugh and his contemporaries.
Although I resisted the temptation to point it out during the evening, I was particularly pleased to see that one of Rory's slides featured William Hogarth's 1730s painting of the famous Kit-Cat Club. Behind the famous members assembled round the table, including Vanbrugh himself, you can see a tobacco pipe-maker displaying his wares while his customers are clearly enjoying their clays. It is not often that the Tobacco Pipe Makers receive an unexpected cameo during an architectural lecture! You can see the painting online, or at Lotherton House in West Yorkshire.
Afterwards we made our way to the roof terrace for drinks and canapés. On a warm June evening, the views across London were magnificent. Looking over a skyline where St Paul's sits alongside the Barbican and the distant Post Office Tower, it is easy to see how each generation leaves its mark on the capital.
It was a wonderful evening and a reminder that London is remarkably good at combining old and new. The eighteenth century provided the subject matter; the twenty-first century supplied the venue and hospitality. Both, however, contributed to the view. Sir John Vanbrugh would have appreciated the ambition of 21 Moorfields. I certainly appreciated the snacks.