London’s Somerset House narrowly escaped a “total catastrophe” on the scale of Notre Dame when it caught fire last week, its director said.
About 125 firefighters and 20 fire trucks responded to the fire at the beachfront arts center on August 17, which damaged the roof and parts of the west wing of the complex.
Jonathan Reekie, director of the Somerset House Trust, said the fire was quickly extinguished thanks to “really responsive staff” and the “amazing” response of the London Fire Service.
No one was injured and the venue began a “gradual reopening” this weekend.
Somerset House hosted the fashion exhibition “The Lore of Loverboy” and the open-air voguing show “The Mighty Crown Ball” on Saturday.
Mr Reekie warned that reconstruction work could take years, but expressed gratitude that the damage was not worse.
“I think I can say that it could have been a total disaster if the fire had not been discovered and fought so quickly by the extraordinary rescue teams,” he said.
“Fortunately, it didn’t become something like a Notre Dame or a Glasgow School of Art.”
A fire devoured the historic cathedral in Paris in 2019, the spire collapsed and destroyed most of the roof, while Fires severely damaged the Mackintosh building of the Scottish art school in 2014 and 2018.
The London Fire Service is investigating the cause of the fire at Somerset House.
Previous residents of the former mansion included Queen Elizabeth I, who lived there from the age of 20 before becoming queen in 1558, according to the Somerset House website.
The priceless works of art housed in the Courtauld Gallery, including works by Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne, were “undamaged” by the fire and are due to be reopened to the public on Sunday.
Mr Reekie added that most of the venue’s facilities and events would be back to normal in “a couple of days”, but that reconstruction would take considerably longer.
“We’ve been focused on how to get the building back on its feet and how to get people back into the building,” he said.
“I think we will need a few more days to get most of our work done.
“Of course, reconstruction will take months, if not years.”
The building is used as a venue for art and events and is also home to numerous artists, makers and creative companies who use the complex’s workspaces and studios.
