Other

Magic Square

Inscription

16, 3, 2, 13
5, 10, 11, 8
9, 6, 7, 12
4, 15, 14, 1 

Site: Magic Square (1 memorial)

WC1, John Street, 21, Haines House

Not your standard Bloomsbury terrace, this Art Deco development has always interested us but now it's got us really puzzled.  We've noticed that one of the floozies up the top of the pillars is holding a 4 x 4 magic square.  At the Wikipedia entry for these things we learn that our magic square is known as the 'Chautisa Yantra'.  There are many different types and the explanation of how to construct a magic square "of doubly even order" rather lost us, but we are sure you will have no trouble.  There's one on the Sagrada Família and Albrecht Durer included one in an engraving, but we don't know why there is one on this Bloomsbury building.  
Haines House was built in 1938 as Mytre House and was a speculative development, so the first occupants, Linotype & Machinery Ltd, are unlikely to have had any influence on the design.  Its listing entry says "sculptural embellishment: two engaged pylons with sculpted tops flanking the main entrance" and gives some information about the architect, Denis Edmund Harrington, but nothing that explains the magic square. Two other bits of info: the lady atop the other pylon is holding an hour-glass.  In her other hand our lady is holding an astrolabe, an astronomical instrument (thanks to Rocker Ages for identifying this object).  We've loaded three more pictures on our Facebook page.  We asked Discovering London, who seems a well-informed chap, but he's stumped as well.  Looking for connections between magic squares and astrolabes we found ourselves on a feng shui site and decided to abandon the search.  They are both ancient ideas with roots in Arabia but we are no closer to explaining why they are here.

2014: Ornamental Passions reached this building.  Now, we thought, we will get an answer, but OP, while addressing the question, doesn't solve it either.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

Nearby Memorials

How memorial gateway

How memorial gateway

E3, St Leonard's Street

This gate leads into a much overgrown graveyard which contains a modern information board: "St Leonard’s Priory was founded in the 11th ...

1 subject commemorated, 9 creators
Cornhill pump

Cornhill pump

EC3, Cornhill

We understand "the neighbouring fire officers" to mean the four fire assurance companies represented by their insignia on the four sides ...

2 subjects commemorated, 4 creators
Unity Theatre inscription

Unity Theatre inscription

NW1, Charlton Street

This memorial is on the first floor facade of the building, to the left of the windows. The style, with the lettering carved into the bri...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Bench - Mayoralty

Bench - Mayoralty

EC2, Guildhall Yard

Along the front edge of the bench 10 sets of deviders are carved and along the top of the back 6 of the Masons' shield.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Mark Evison

Mark Evison

SE21, Dulwich Village

"Farewell great heart" is a quote from Henry IV Part I; Prince Hal says the line when he thinks his friend Falstaff has been killed in ba...

War dead | Other war
1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Muses - Thalia

Muses - Thalia

WC2, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery - Staircase Hall - Half-way Landing

Lady Lesley Jowitt as Thalia the muse of comedy and bucolic poetry.

1 subject commemorated
Blithe Spirit

Blithe Spirit

Written by Noel Coward this play, first performed in Manchester in 1941, moved in 1942 to The Duchess Theatre where it was performed 1997 times, a record at the time. It was filmed by David Lean i...

Fiction, Cinema, Fictional, Theatre

1 memorial
Muses - Apollo

Muses - Apollo

WC2, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery - Staircase Hall - Half-way Landing

Osbert Sitwell as Apollo, god of music, dance and lots more, plays a pipe to awaken the muses.

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
E. B. Townshend

E. B. Townshend

Resident of the West Ward, Hendon who served and died in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Rodney Gordon

Rodney Gordon

Architect.  Graduated from the Architectural Association School in 1957. His first job at the London County Council Architects department was to design this London Underground substation, dedicated...

Person, Architecture

1 memorial