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1964-84 Post War Office Exteriors That Cherish UK Landmarks

'Post war offices' project aims to protect buildings that show history and its impact on English architecture.


Post War Office Exteriors 1 Fisbury Avenue, London, 1982-4

According to Roger Bowdler, director of designations at English Heritage, the world’s biggest corporations including the bank UBS might be a real threat to the architecture of English Heritage that attempted to ‘urbanize’ the Broadgate complex in London with £850 million plan.

The Big Bang of financial markets had a significant impact on office interiors, from old fashioned, classical style to an open-plan design, that indicates the change of working types - movement towards a flexible and remote working style. Also, the architecture of American commercial developments had been reflected in a post war office architecture.

Important events in the world such as the oil crisis in 1973 had an impact on the appearance of the buildings across the UK. One of IBM head offices in Portsmouth that was build during 1970 and 1971 was distinguished by its style from the buildings that had been built before 1970 because pf the prevalence of the glass walls. The building 'glass box' was inspired by Mies van Rohe who influenced commercial office designs in America.

'Commercial Glass box'IBM Pilot Head Office, Portsmouth, 1970-71

Another post war office built in 1975-1978 in Bristol, known as Central Electicity Generating Board, was one of the first buildings  in the UK that had showed a concern towards the sustainable environment. The building has flat roofs linked by spinal circulation routes and is located in picturesque courts. In addition, a feature of swimming pool that works as a heat sink was designed to show the concern for the low-energy environmental design.

Concern towards environment: Former Central Electricity Generating Board Building, Bristol, 1975-8


Civil Aviation Authority House, Kingsway, Camden london, 1964-8
MEA House, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1972-4
Gun Wharf (civic headquarters for Medway Council), Chatham, Kents 1976-8
Former Midland Bank by Raymond Fletcher of Bradshaw
30 Cannon Street by Whinney



Read more about Post War England Heritage Commercial Offices on theguardian.com.

>>>Read more about the future of modern office interiors here<<<





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