55 Broadway

55 Broadway is a Grade I listed building overlooking St. James's Park in London. It was designed by Charles Holden and built between 1927 and 1929; in 1931 the building earned him the RIBA London Architecture Medal.

It was constructed as a new headquarters for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL), the main forerunner of London Underground. Upon completion, it was the tallest office block in the city.

London Underground is due to vacate the building in 2015 for new headquarters, and 55 Broadway will be converted for residential use.

Description

Faced with Portland stone and covering a site with an irregular footprint, the upper office floors of the building are on a cruciform plan, stepping back towards the central clock tower at the top. The cruciform design afforded the optimum level of natural light to the offices. The ground floor now contains a shopping arcade and many art deco details. Previously the ground floor was also given over to London Transport offices, including a travel information centre, cash office and a library. The whole building straddles St. James's Park tube station, the east and west wings being immediately above the railway tunnel. When finished it was the tallest steel-framed office building in London, until another Holden building, the University of London's Senate House (based on similar designs and materials), took the accolade.