When I took photos of this building next to Russell Square it was the Hotel Russell but now it is the five star Kimpton Fitzroy London. Built in 1898 by the architect Charles Fitzroy Doll it was opened in 1900 and its terracotta decoration was apparently based on the Chateau de Madrid near Paris which was demolished in the 1790s.
There is a lot going on with the decoration. The details such as those over the entrance were sculpted by W. J. Neatby…
…and the four Queens at the front – Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne and Victoria (and prime ministers around the side – not pictured) were by H. C. Fehr.
The Russell Group, a self-selected association of twenty-four public research universities, was named after the original Hotel Russell which is where they held their first informal meetings.
You can find some more photos here.
Louise Jayne's Blog 