St Michael’s is rectangular in plan, with only the west front on College Hill being slightly out of true.
 Before the Second World War the south front was hemmed in by buildings.
 Following bomb damage, these buildings were cleared and Whittington Garden laid out on their site, so that St Michael’s main façade is now on the south, along Upper Thames Street.
 The south front is faced with Portland stone and has six round-headed windows with cherub keystones.
 The less prominent north and east fronts are of brick.
 The roof is balustraded.

The entrance is through the tower in the southwest corner.
 This has a round-headed window at the lowest level, then a circular window, then a square-headed belfry window.
 At the top is a pierced parapet with square urns on the corners.
 The stone spire was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and is similar to those of St Stephen Walbrook, St James Garlickhythe and, to a lesser extent, the west towers of St Paul’s Cathedral.
 It is an open octagon formed by eight Ionic columns, each with its own entablature and topped by an urn.
 Above this is another, smaller, octagon with another eight columns with urns.
 Above the second octagon is a tiny dome surmounted by a pennant vane.
 The height of the tower and steeple is 128 ft.

St Michael Paternoster Royal was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
St Michael’s is rectangular in plan, with only the west front on College Hill being slightly out of true.  Before the Second World War the south front was hemmed in by buildings.  Following bomb damage, these buildings were cleared and Whittington Garden laid out on their site, so that St Michael’s main façade is now on the south, along Upper Thames Street.  The south front is faced with Portland stone and has six round-headed windows with cherub keystones.  The less prominent north and east fronts are of brick.  The roof is balustraded.
The entrance is through the tower in the southwest corner.  This has a round-headed window at the lowest level, then a circular window, then a square-headed belfry window.  At the top is a pierced parapet with square urns on the corners.  The stone spire was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and is similar to those of St Stephen Walbrook, St James Garlickhythe and, to a lesser extent, the west towers of St Paul’s Cathedral.  It is an open octagon formed by eight Ionic columns, each with its own entablature and topped by an urn.  Above this is another, smaller, octagon with another eight columns with urns.  Above the second octagon is a tiny dome surmounted by a pennant vane.  The height of the tower and steeple is 128 ft.
St Michael Paternoster Royal was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950.
St Michael Paternoster Royal