The Building Centre
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.
References[]
- ^ a b "The Built Environment Trust (Charity number: 1163419)". Charity Commission. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Our history". Building Centre - Our history. The Building Centre. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Railings for Scrap – the Building Centre in the Blitz". The Building Centre. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "About Us". The Building Centre. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Building Centre: Building's concrete secrets revealed, 5 October 2017". Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Organisations at the Building Centre". Building Centre. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
External links[]
- The Building Centre - official site
Coordinates: 51°31′10″N 0°07′54″W / 51.5195°N 0.1316°W
- 1932 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Museums in the London Borough of Camden
- Architecture museums in the United Kingdom
- United Kingdom organisation stubs