The headquarters of the Port of London Authority bought the three-acre site of 10 Trinity Square in 1912. At the time it comprised Georgian residences, warehouses and offices. The Board of the PLA then ran an architectural competition for the design of a new headquarters building, with strict rules that it should be visible from the river. The architect Sir Edwin Cooper was the successful applicant, and the building was officially opened by the Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1922. Its entrance was surmounted by a flat-topped masonry tower containing a series of sculptures by Albert Hodge, representing commerce, navigation, exportation and, to symbolise the River Thames and the prosperity it bore.
The building was badly damaged by enemy bombing during World War II, and when rebuilt in the 1970s a functional rectangular office block was built to occupy the central part of the building which was destroyed in the war. The building was occupied as the European headquarters of insurance company Willis following the relocation of the PLA.
In 2009, US tycoon Stan Thomas got planning permission to transform the Grade II-listed building, which was by then unoccupied, into a “six-starâ€, 490,000 sq ft hotel, spa and residential development. It will represent the first UK venture for the tycoon’s Thomas Enterprises, and is intended to be completed by the 2012 Olympics. Thomas bought the property, formerly home to insurance giant Willis, in 2006 for £110m and will spend around £150m transforming it into a luxury 121 bedroom hotel and a 30 flat residential complex. London-based Woods Bagot is the architect for the restoration of the building.
Interesting Fact..
The building hosted the reception for the inaugural meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946.
Thanks to Dicky21 for finding and cracking it.. and thanks to AndrewB for the guided climb/tour. Accompanied by Rigs AKA Troublemaker and AndyB.
After a cracking day at Brands Hatch with Herr Frink & spawn watching the opening round of British Superbikes Rigs and I hooked up with AndrewB in Colchester and headed over for a Mooch at St Johns Hospital then onto this gem once it was dark.
All in all a cracking Easter Monday!
Thanks fer looking!
The building was badly damaged by enemy bombing during World War II, and when rebuilt in the 1970s a functional rectangular office block was built to occupy the central part of the building which was destroyed in the war. The building was occupied as the European headquarters of insurance company Willis following the relocation of the PLA.
In 2009, US tycoon Stan Thomas got planning permission to transform the Grade II-listed building, which was by then unoccupied, into a “six-starâ€, 490,000 sq ft hotel, spa and residential development. It will represent the first UK venture for the tycoon’s Thomas Enterprises, and is intended to be completed by the 2012 Olympics. Thomas bought the property, formerly home to insurance giant Willis, in 2006 for £110m and will spend around £150m transforming it into a luxury 121 bedroom hotel and a 30 flat residential complex. London-based Woods Bagot is the architect for the restoration of the building.
Interesting Fact..
The building hosted the reception for the inaugural meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946.
Thanks to Dicky21 for finding and cracking it.. and thanks to AndrewB for the guided climb/tour. Accompanied by Rigs AKA Troublemaker and AndyB.
After a cracking day at Brands Hatch with Herr Frink & spawn watching the opening round of British Superbikes Rigs and I hooked up with AndrewB in Colchester and headed over for a Mooch at St Johns Hospital then onto this gem once it was dark.
All in all a cracking Easter Monday!
Thanks fer looking!
