There are few cities in the world that can rival London. Combining rich historical heritage with ultra-modern architecture we are a city that relishes the future, but revels in tradition. This week, rather discretly and without fuss, Soho was treated to a revival of history, of sorts, when Comptons of Soho received a facelift – literally! Already an imposing landmark on gay Soho’s main thoroughfare, she’s now bigger, bolder and better than ever. What’s more, as you’d expect from such a monumental building, the new look comes with a whole lot o’ history…
Many of us go about our business in London and often forget to take time to appreciate the rich architectural heritage and beauty of this great city. There’s a simple thing that you can do to rectify that (which many of us often forget to do) and that is to look ‘up’.
That’s fine if you’re ambling along the Thames, scoping out the looming Shard, ‘Walkie Talkie’ and rising ‘Cheesegrater’ skyscrapers, you might think. But when one’s mincing along Old Compton Street, we are generally far too preoccupied with the faces sitting inside Café Nero or Balans to take the time out to appreciate the imposing grace of Comptons of Soho, the ‘Grand Dame’ of Compton Street as she is affectionately known.
Originally called ‘The Swiss Hotel’ it was built in 1890 by architects W.A. Williams and Hopton of Regent Street. The top two floors were damaged and subsequently demolished after a bomb dropped onto the buildings next door on the 15th May 1941 during World War 2. The name was changed to the ‘Swiss Tavern’ shortly after the war, before being re-christened ‘Comptons’ following a refurbishment in 1986, by which point the gays had arrived to stake their claim on Soho.
The rest, as they say, is history.
However, unless you studied the drawing on the bar’s first floor in detail (see image above, left), you may never have noticed that the building was missing its original upper levels. At the end of last year, Faucett Inns, the company that owns Comptons, undertook a huge project to return the building to its ‘partial’ original look. Partial, because the new incarnation doesn’t feature the taller left ‘tower’ (see drawing) but instead mirrors the right hand aspect of its original design. The new upper levels will contain rented accommodation, which have helped pay for the construction work and the restoration of the gold detailing, plasterwork and return of the original signage that General Manager Neil Hodgson found tucked away in storage during the works.
With a fresh new coat of paint, a facelift and a brand new top to show off, the Grand Dame never looked so regal.
• Comptons of Soho is at 51-53 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 6HN. This weekend it celebrates its 27th birthday.
