The Royal College of Surgeons of England’s building complex is a layered piece of London architectural history, combining an early‑19th‑century classical façade with a thoroughly modern interior.
 
The main frontage on Lincoln’s Inn Fields was designed by Sir Charles Barry in the 1820s–30s; he later went on to design the Houses of Parliament. The façade is a grand, neoclassical block with a portico of columns and a stone‑fronted elevation that is now Grade II* listed, meaning it is recognised as a building of special architectural and historic interest.
 
The College did not stay in one house; over the 19th century it gradually bought up adjacent properties (numbers 37–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields) and unified them into a single institutional block. The original front section was built on the line of the old Fleet Street frontage, then extended back almost to Portugal Street, creating a deep site that now runs from the open square through to a denser rear block. It's why the Portico looks a little small on the watercolour above, the building has grown in all directions. This reflecting the importance and expansion of the medical profession.
 
During and after the Second World War the rear parts were heavily damaged and later rebuilt in the 1950s as a “warren of corridors”; those 20th‑century structures have now been largely replaced. In a project completed around 2021, the historic front is preserved, but almost everything behind it has been rebuilt.
 
Interesting facts...
Home to the Huntarian Museum of bizarre specimens all stored in alcohol jars. Unfortunately these created the firestorm during the blitz and most were lost.  Todays collections are mostly gifts and later additions.