The Hospital (club)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hospital is a a private members' club and creative arts venue, which houses a music studio and art gallery. It is in Endell Street, Covent Garden, London on the site of an 18th century hospital.
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[edit] Description
The club was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen through his investment company Vulcan Inc. and David A. Stewart of the band Eurythmics.
The Hospital's main ethos is to encompass creativity through an environment that actively encourages its members to network and collaborate. Members include novelists, journalists, artists, producers, musicians and film makers.
Celebrity members include Jude Law, who used it as an escape route when his ex-wife Sadie Frost turned up at a party hosted by Dave Stewart.[1]
The Hospital hosts events, recently initiating "The Hospital Awards". Previous winners include Katie Grand who won a publishing & journalism award[2] for launching the first Super Glossy - Pop (magazine). The British comedian Catherine Tate also received a Hospital Award. In 2006 The Hospital hosted an exclusive VIP area at the Frieze Art Fair offering a private lounge in the centre of the fair. ES magazine cited the lounge as "the place where the beautiful people hang out". Guests in the VIP lounge included Tracey Emin and Kate Moss.
The Hospital also hosted an event at the Edinburgh Television Festival, plus events at the Cannes Film Festival — Paul Allen was even reported to invite members to party on his yacht 'Octopus'. Members did indeed attend his party on board The Octopus Cannes 2005, along with major film-makers, actors, designers. Paul Allen, very ably, played electric guitar for hours. The party started at about 8pm and went on until about 3am.[3]
A programme of members events included film premieres (screened in the private cinema), wine tasting, a book and music club as well as a writers' salon. The Hospital newsletter features articles contributed by members and lists future events. The cinema is often hired by major and emerging film-makers to showcase their films in the cinema to a chosen private audience. The Hospital is a major media club, and will grow in stature in time, as will its members.
[edit] Facilities
- Television studio
- Music recording studio
- Cinema
- Art gallery
- Bar lounge
- Bellini bar and lounge
- Martini lounge
- Club restaurant
- Forest private dining room
- Library
- Games room
- Loft lounge
- Meeting room
The building is also home to Origin, a public restaurant, on the first floor.
[edit] History
As its name suggests, the building was for many years was home to St Pauls Hospital, first established in 1749.
1749 Maternity hospital for ‘the distressed poor – married women only’ opened
1915 War Office give premises to women medics – The Endell Street Hospital
1923 St Paul’s Hospital moves from Red Lion Square to Endell Street
1948 Amalgamated with St Peter’s to become a teaching hospital in the newly established NHS
1959 Became the first artificial kidney unit in the UK
1961 First dialysis in the UK performed at St Paul’s
1992 St Paul’s Hospital closed
1996 Building purchased by Paul Allen, planning submitted. Local objections to development mean the project stalls for a number of years while a compromise with residents is worked out
1999-2003 Renovation begins
2003 TV studio and gallery open
2004 Private members' club, public restaurant and recording studio open
