Walking home from a night out one day I found my way into this place. Returning a few weeks later with my camera and a more sober disposition I found what must have been a Finance or Lawyers building.
I found out that it was originally built in the early 1900s (1904-07) and was meant to be offices in the lower levels and artist studios in the top floors. It housed the Italian Consulate up until it was evacuated for fear of collapse.
http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/897874
It was originally closed in 1995, first for demolition, then for repairs, however neither have been done (evidently) and it doesn't seem like anything will ever come of it sadly. The upper floors are actually quite beautiful with big bay windows and high ceilings and just a little bit of bird shit...
The lower levels are pretty destroyed, but as you work your way up everything seems to get older but less destroyed. The fire alarms were pretty cool, each level seemed to go back 10 years.
Some pictures.
1st floor looking out to Hope Street. Everything down here is trashed, however the old safes are pretty interesting if you fancy a look.
1990's Fairy liquid.
Obligatory peeling wallpaper.
I was a little disappointed with this explore, and just as I was about to give up I found a little door...
To my surprise it wasn't a little storage cupboard, but a tight little staircase, I wonder what's at the top?
Cathy's Room apparently. I found records going back well into the 1800s, you could spend hours reading through all this! There were a lot of evidence books as well, murder cases, drug cases, kidnapping, plus the more mundane of course.
Dated 1806. I found a whole box of wax seals, clearly going way back here.
You can see some of the seal stamps on the left.
Apologies if this isn't to peoples liking, but I found the records room amazing!
rreK
I found out that it was originally built in the early 1900s (1904-07) and was meant to be offices in the lower levels and artist studios in the top floors. It housed the Italian Consulate up until it was evacuated for fear of collapse.
http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/897874
It was originally closed in 1995, first for demolition, then for repairs, however neither have been done (evidently) and it doesn't seem like anything will ever come of it sadly. The upper floors are actually quite beautiful with big bay windows and high ceilings and just a little bit of bird shit...
The lower levels are pretty destroyed, but as you work your way up everything seems to get older but less destroyed. The fire alarms were pretty cool, each level seemed to go back 10 years.
Some pictures.
1st floor looking out to Hope Street. Everything down here is trashed, however the old safes are pretty interesting if you fancy a look.
1990's Fairy liquid.
Obligatory peeling wallpaper.
I was a little disappointed with this explore, and just as I was about to give up I found a little door...
To my surprise it wasn't a little storage cupboard, but a tight little staircase, I wonder what's at the top?
Cathy's Room apparently. I found records going back well into the 1800s, you could spend hours reading through all this! There were a lot of evidence books as well, murder cases, drug cases, kidnapping, plus the more mundane of course.
Dated 1806. I found a whole box of wax seals, clearly going way back here.
You can see some of the seal stamps on the left.
Apologies if this isn't to peoples liking, but I found the records room amazing!
rreK
