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Electra House is a building at 84 Moorgate, London, England. It is notable as the wartime London base of Cable & Wireless Limited, and office of Department EH — one of the three British organisations that merged in World War II to form the Special Operations Executive.
From September 2024, it is the campus for the Fashion Retail Academy, a further education and higher education college.
It is not to be confused with Electra House in Brixton, the depot for London Underground Train Operators based at Brixton on the Victoria Line.[1]
History
editArchitect John Belcher designed the building,[2] which opened in 1902 as accommodation for the Eastern Telegraph Company. On 11 May 1933, the company transferred administrative functions to a new Electra House building on Victoria Embankment. This became the administrative headquarters for the renamed Imperial and International Communications, which became Cable & Wireless Limited in 1934.
The Foreign Office created a propaganda organisation known as Department EH, after its headquarters Electra House. Department EH was involved in the monitoring of foreign embassy communications, and cabling run between both buildings ensured continuance of this service even following direct bomb damage during World War II.[3]
The remaining Cable & Wireless operations were finally moved from the Moorgate building to Victoria Embankment when the original building suffered severe bomb damage during World War II. Electra House (Victoria Embankment) was itself subsequently hit by a V-1 flying bomb in July 1944, but this resulted in only three[4] fatalities among the 400 attending staff and did not stop daily operations.[3] Electra House continued to be a hub for telecommunications activities by its eventual owners, BT Group, until its final demolition [5] and replacement by a new building, now occupied by British American Tobacco.[3] The Electra House Retired Colleagues Association, formed from staff of Electra House (Victoria Embankment) and other BT Group offices, continue to stay in contact and meet.[5]
Following its repair from bomb damage, City of London College moved into Electra House in Moorgate in 1944 and occupied the building, including when it became part of London Metropolitan University,[2] until 2017.
In 2021 a major £21 million renovation was announced.[6]
Present use
editFollowing a £50 million renovation,[7] the Fashion Retail Academy moved to Electra House in September 2024 from its previous location at 15 Gresse Street.
Facilities at the newly-opened campus include a library housing over 5,000 fashion books and publications, 28 multi-purpose classrooms, 6 lecture theatres, a fashion design wing, photography studio and a number of social and collaborative spaces including a coffee shop for students.
The ground floor reception area will also incorporate a small museum exploring the history of Electra House, which will be open to the public.
References
edit- ^ "Offices in London - a Freedom of Information request to Transport for London" (PDF). 20 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Bob Speel's website – Electra House, Moorgate". Speel.me.uk. 23 November 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "Electra and Mercury House, London". Eyemead.com. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
- ^ Westminster Archives
- ^ a b "Home". Spencerweb.net. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
- ^ Lowe2021-12-01T06:00:00+00:00, Tom. "Osborne chalks up £21m refurb job on grade II-listed City building". Building. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Electra House - Fashion Retail Academy". Fashion Retail Academy.