The continued occupancy by London Underground of 55 Broadway, its iconic headquarters, is currently under review.
The Grade 1 listed building, which includes St James Park station, is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest pieces of architecture – one of the lasting legacies of Frank Pick’s time at London Underground.
Pick firmly believed that the Underground’s above ground headquarters should present just as strong an image of the network’s commitment to quality as the stations below. The responsibility for designing the building was thus given over to Charles Holden, and sculptural contributions were sought from the likes of Jacob Epstein, Eric Gill, Allan Wyon, Henry Moore, A H Gerrard and Samuel Rabinovitch. Pick had to battle hard to keep the project true to his vision – even threatening to resign during the controversy over Epstein’s “Day” and “Night” sculptures if the Board ordered the statues’ removal.
Upon its completion in 1929, the building was London’s tallest building and has remained a key part of the area’s landscape ever since.
As part of various ongoing savings programmes, TfL have been redeploying and rationalising a number of teams and assets, but few will have expected 55 Broadway to have been on the list of options for change.
TfL have, however, confirmed that his is indeed the case and that whilst they have no intension of relinquishing the freehold, they are investigating their options:
TfL regularly reviews its property portfolio to ensure that it has the best network of buildings to run effectively. As part of this prudent management TfL is considering a range of options for properties such as 55 Broadway which might include potentially vacating the premises in the future, though the freehold would be retained. This assessment is still in the early stages with no plan of action finalised
TfL’s own statement is relatively noncommittal, but sources suggest that whilst a decision has yet to been made, the relocation of a major slice of the current activity based at the building is being strongly favoured, combined with a renovation of the building after which other occupants would be sought.
Financially it’s certainly a decision that would make a lot of sense – as anyone who has been inside it will vouch, 55 Broadway is not a building that is exactly cheap to maintain. Similarly, its age and protected status make it a complex environment in which to run a modern office.
Vacating the building might, however, be seen by many as a step to far. As was once (in)famously asserted, London Underground are running a railway, not a museum, but the Underground’s history and heritage form a key part of both what it is and how it is perceived. In that regard, abandoning such a major part of the legacy left by the some of the Tube’s most celebrated names might feel to many like a betrayal of a major part of the Underground’s past. Whilst it is highly likely that TfL would carry out such an exit with great care, unwelcome comparisons with some of the disastrous station renewal works of the past -which condemned whole swathes of the Underground’s history to the bin forever – would no doubt be made.
Ultimately, if the decision is indeed made to vacate, then no matter how good the reasoning or how sensitively it is carried out, it will be seen by many as a sad milestone in the Underground’s history.
Given how day to day running of the former London Transport empire has shrunk what with bus privitisation it’s surprising how 55 Broadway is not big enough !
The real irony is if a new member of staff who is a wheelchair user is employed they still can’t use the station in the basement !
IanVisits is reporting the definite plans to turn 55 Broadway into flats. Read about it here: http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2015/06/17/london-underground-hq-to-be-turned-into-flat/ I previously a predicted a windswept ‘shed’ on the out-skirts of London. Doubtless the big-wigs will hire a venue for their high level meetings.
Probably “Palestre”
Which, IIRC, is very close to Southwark tube ….
Palestre? Explain.
Palestra – 197 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NJ
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/places/palestra
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/london/palestra
Ah Palestra. I remember this going up and always though it a rather striking building. Will Alsop’s work is always bold.
I understand the LU Directors have been moved out of 55 and decanted to Palestra already. Well that’s what I was told. The replacement for 55 Broadway’s occupants, and presumably several other LU locations in Central London, will be a block at the new International Quarter at Stratford [1][2]. It is being built in the strip of land between the west side of Westfield Stratford City and the Olympic Park. I think the phrase is that TfL will be an “anchor tenant” in the new office buildings. It is perhaps not a great shock that the move will probably only happen after Crossrail is running through to Stratford. I would guess that this consolidation of accommodation will remove a great many LU people from the Victoria area probably only leaving TfL HQ at Windsor House. Note this is speculation as TfL have publicly revealed which departments will be moving where and what buildings it may vacate / dispose of / end leases on. There are obvious commercial and employee relations considerations in play so understadable that nothing’s been said at this point. The move to Stratford will lengthen a lot of people’s commuting times though and no easy link between Crossrail and Victoria NR will affect a load of people who commute into Victoria and currently walk to their office in the Victoria area.
[1] http://www.stratfordlondon.info/developments/international-quarter
[2] https://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2015/new-tfl-accommodation-hub-at-the-international-quarter-e20
Its already really easy to get to Stratford from almost anywhere. Victoria is the only terminus requiring a change of train after Crossrail.
Crossrail will be quicker and offer some more convenient interchanges than some present routes.
The only recent problem has been the franchise change from East Coat to Virgin which has resulted in a huge increase in through ticket prices from ECML stations to Stratford International. If they don’t fix that before this summer’s athletics and Rugby Union world cup much fuss will ensue.
@Alan Griffiths
“Victoria is the only terminus requiring a change of train [to Stratford] after Crossrail.”
Most stations with services to Victoria also have services to London Bridge, which already has a direct service to Stratford, and/or Farringdon, which will do.
But what about Euston? Marylebone?
Which station ‘… has a direct service to Stratford, and/or Farringdon’?
@LadyBracknell
I think you may have mis-parsed timbeau’s assertion. What I think he said/meant is:
Most stations with services to Victoria also have services to
@Alan Griffiths
The only recent problem has been the franchise change from East Coat to Virgin which has resulted in a huge increase in through ticket prices from ECML stations to Stratford International.
Please explain. How can the Kings Cross – Stratford fare have increased because the franchise changed?
@ap
I don’t suppose Alan was thinking of Kings Cross when he made his comment, even though it is of course an ECML station.
But one example might be, say, Peterborough to Stratford International, whose current anytime single fare is £58.50, set by Virgin Trains East Coast. (The anytime single fare to Kings Cross, with the same fare-setter, is £50). I do not know what the fares were before the franchise change, but the implication of Alan’s comment is that they were significantly lower.
@Malcolm: ‘London Bridge (which already has a direct service to Stratford)’? Is this a new or secret line? Looking at the tube map, you will need to change from the Northern Line at Bank onto the Central Line for Stratford.
Lady Bracknell,
It is not secret. 21st century maps show the Jubilee Line linking the two.
@Lady Bracknell
“Is this a new or secret line?”
Surely, for you of all people, the line is immaterial?
ap 21 June 2015 at 20:20
@Alan Griffiths
“Please explain. How can the Kings Cross – Stratford fare have increased because the franchise changed?”
I imagine its a programming mess-up.
There was a time when East Coast wouldn’t sell through tickets to Stratford International on-line. After I sent letters about this, embargoed like press releases, to the Editors of the Yorkshire Post, Northern Echo and Hull Daily Mail, that changed so quickly that the letters never got published!
I’ve bought a group of train tickets to Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe, as I do alternate years. They seemed to be nearly twice as much as two years ago until I stopped trying to book Stratford International to Edinburgh Waverley and started looking at London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley.
Stratford International to London St Pancras is £6 for six minutes! If you live where I do, going that way involves a lot less hauling bags around busy trains and busy stations.
timbeau
20 June 2015 at 10:41
“But what about Euston? Marylebone?”
Don’t think I checked as carefully as I might have when I wrote that item.
@Malcolm/Lady B
My assertion that “Most stations with services to Victoria also have services to London Bridge”
Realised belatedly that the line is VERY material. Most Brighton line stations do indeed have services to London Bridge as well as Victoria (odd exceptions like Balham have other means of getting to Stratford with one change).
As for the Chatham line, many have a direct service to Stratford on HS1, or can connect with it. However, Stratford is not so easy to get to from Chatham Line stations west of the Medway.
Even Balham has the Northern Line to London Bridge!
timbeau 22 June 2015 at 16:42
“Stratford is not so easy to get to from Chatham Line stations west of the Medway.”
DLR from Woolwich Arsenal or Greenwich, but you would have to change except at weekday peak time.
@Alan Griffiths (presumably not familiar with the works of Oscar Wilde?)
By the “Chatham Line” I meant the London Chatham & Dover Railway – the “line” with which Ernest Worthing was keen to emphasise to his prospective mother-in-law he was not associated when admitting he had been found (in, of course, a HANDBAG) at Victoria station. (For her response, I refer you to my comment at 14:04.)
You can only get to Woolwich or Greenwich from that line by changing at Chatham, which is a bit circuitous if you are starting west of the Medway (e.g at Bromley South) and impossible if you are on the Maidstone East line.
timbeau 22 June 2015 at 18:01
Clearly less familiar than you; though a gender reversed production of “the importance of being Ernest was quite interesting.
@Pedantic of Purley: I am surprised at you. A direct line is from A to B. Once you have to change, even from platform to platform, it is no longer direct.
@LadyBracknell: I am surprised at you. You claimed that there was no direct line from London Bridge to Stratford. Pedantic drew your attention to the Jubilee line, on which one can travel from London Bridge to Stratford. Without changing trains, platforms, opinions or anything else. What could be clearer than that?
Doh. Of course, the Jubilee line. Apologies.
As Ian Visits has noted TfL have now announced the actual sell-off of their historic – and – listed St James’ Park headquarters building, 55 Broadway to a property/hotel company.
I happen to think this is a piece of gross cultural vandalism, as the interior is one of the most gorgeous examples of classic Art Deco I’ve ever seen.
@Greg – but the sale is only a lease on the offices and the listing will protect the best features.
Accommodations for guests and residents are likely to appreciate the retained Art Deco.
Aleks
At my next visit ( Next month) I will attempt to take some decent pictures, assuming TfL goons don’t try to stop me ….. (!)