The Rotunda

Sir Herbert Baker's imposing Rotunda is the second major architectural feature within the Museum and dates from the 1930s when the Bank was rebuilt in its present form. Large showcases around the perimeter of the Rotunda, each focusing on an important theme or period, complete the chronological history of the Bank. The draped female figures, or caryatids, supporting the ends of the showcases and the columns in the lantern are Soane originals, rescued from demolition in the 1920s and re-used by Baker. .