Here at Congress Centre we’re really proud of our beautiful spaces, listed features and impressive works of art. And it seems our venue’s attributes have not gone unnoticed by film and location scouts across the country. Our building has been used as a central London filming location for major films and TV series many times – have a look at some of the fabulous filming that has taken place here and get the lowdown on the spaces available to see if somewhere at Congress Centre might be right for your next project.
In the last few years we’ve welcomed crews from the Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning BBC drama Killing Eve, Netflix’s internationally renowned The Crown and Richard Gere’s most recent release, MotherFatherSon. The production companies have used various spaces within our 1950s venue making particular use of some of our stand-out features.
This scene, which features British greats Zoe Wannamaker and Fiona Shaw, was shot in one of our central London venue’s meeting rooms. The beautiful, original, 1950s wooden panelling in this room makes a fabulous backdrop for scenes set in offices, institutions and government buildings. Original overhead lights offer an extra level of authenticity to the setting.
Featuring stars like Olivia Coleman, Helena Bonham Carter and Matt Smith, the popular Netflix series took advantage of the Marble Hall backdrop in the foyer to create a dramatic entrance for characters. Fun fact: Congress Centre is 20 years older than Oliva Colman, but the Queen herself is nearly 30 years older than our venue!
The Council Chamber’s floor to ceiling original wood panelling also grabbed the attention of filmmakers from the BBC series MotherFatherSon. Seen here in the series 1 episode 2, the Council Chamber was set up to shoot a press conference scene. The space was integral in creating the perfect dramatic atmosphere as a mother announces £30,000 reward for information that helps solve the murder of her daughter, Tonya.
Agatha’s Christie’s tale of family feuds, intrigue and murder was adapted for a film in 2017 starring Glenn Close and Terence Stamp. Pictured here is our Marble Hall with its unique view out towards the Epstein statue housed in Congress Centre’s Courtyard. Set up with a desk, the space – usually used for receptions and parties – looks just like the office of a VIP.
You may recognise some other famous faces that have been to our central London filming location…
In this crime thriller, Damian Lewis sat within our Council Chamber as he assigns this pair to a unexpected mission in Paris.
Peter Capaldi got up close and personal with our 1950s wooden panelling in this political satire film, featuring both the Council Chamber and some of our meeting rooms.
This heavy BBC drama included a grisly shootout scene, shot in our on-site underground car park and down Dyott Street alongside the venue.
The sweeping staircase in the Foyer at Congress Centre is not only beautiful, but also a rare find. Its elegant design creates a floating illusion and the huge windows above it and surrounding the space into which it descends flood the area with natural light.
A truly unique space, the Marble Hall at Congress Centre boasts 172 glass hexagons set in soft lead. In the middle of the beautiful quadrant is the famous Sir Jacob Epstein statue of a woman holding a dying soldier. The space provides an atmospheric setting for filming and needs to be seen in person to be appreciated.
A sprung-timber floor, award-winning space frame ceiling and a 432 square metre floor space means our Congress Hall creates an impressive setting for balls, dances, large events, parties or conferences – which is what it’s used for most of the time!
We consider every filming request on a case-by-case basis, so please do get in touch with our venue team by calling 020 7467 1318 or dropping an email at congress.centre@tuc.org.uk to discuss your next central London shoot.