Century House, London

Century House, London is a 22-storey building located at 100 Westminster Bridge Road in London. The building was designed by P. M. Devereux and constructed between 1959 and 1964.[1] It became the home of the Secret Intelligence Service following their move from 54 Broadway in 1964: the location of their headquarters was classified information, though the Daily Telegraph reported that it was "London's worst-kept secret, known only to every taxi driver, tourist guide and KGB agent".[2]

Century House
Century House (in the background)
General information
LocationLambeth, London
Construction started1959
Completed1964
Technical details
Floor count22
Design and construction
ArchitectP. M. Devereux

Century House was described as "irredeemably insecure" in a 1985 National Audit Office (NAO) report with security concerns raised in a survey; the building was made largely of glass, and had a petrol station at its base.[2] The Secret Intelligence Service moved to Vauxhall Cross in 1994.[3] The building was refurbished and converted into the residential Perspective Building, designed by Assael Architecture in 2001.[4]

References

  1. "The time when spy agencies officially didn't exist". BBC. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  2. Alan Judd (24 September 2000). "One in the eye for the Vauxhall Trollop". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  3. "Top secret: A century of British espionage". The Independent. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  4. "The Perspective – Estate and Letting Agents – MyLondonHome – Property – London". Retrieved 12 February 2017.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.