The Building Centre

The Building Centre, London.

The Building Centre is a building in central London used to promote innovation in the built environment. It is run by the Built Environment Trust, a charitable body.^[1]

Formation[]

The centre was founded in 1931 starting as the building materials bureau of the Architectural Association.^[2] Its first managing director was , architectural photographer and secretary of the Architectural Association School, and its first chairman was Maurice Webb. It opened its doors on 7 September 1932 at 158 New Bond Street

Locations[]

The Building Centre operated from New Bond Street until its building was destroyed during The Blitz on 12 May 1941.^[3] As a result, it moved to Conduit Street and was based there until 1951, when it moved to its present home in Store Street.^[4] The building had been designed by the modernist architects Taperell and Haase as a Daimler motor showroom. It is built of reinforced concrete, faced with Portland stone.^[5] When converted to the Building Centre, a sgraffito mural by Augustus Lunn was installed in the open-air courtyard and patio, although this has since been hidden or lost.^[5]

Notable people[]

Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, President from 1940 - 1959
Sir Basil Spence, President from 1960 - 1968
Sir Frederick Gibberd, President in 1969
, Chairman from 1940 - 1962

Organisations at the Building Centre[]

Organisations located at the building include: the Built Environment Trust,^[1] the Construction Industry Council, the Construction Products Association, and the UK Green Building Council.^[6]

Current services[]

Admission to the galleries on the ground floor and lower ground floor is free. There is a cafe open to the public and conference facilities available for hire and are used for a variety of events.