“One of the single most thrilling architectural experiences in Europe…”
Lloyds of London - outrageous, paranoid, disturbing
Insurance market, Lloyds of London, have had a building on this site in The City since the 17th century.
Like St Pauls Cathedral, it is is Grade I Listed and described by Historic England “as one of the key buildings of the modern epoch.”
Owen Hatherley in the sacred text, Modern Buildings in Britain wrote:
“Non-Londoners - if you have time in the capital to see one building, make it this one. This outrageous, paranoid, disturbing building is one of the single most thrilling architectural experiences in Europe.”
As with the Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano designed Pompidou Centre in Paris, this is an inside-outside building. The services and circulation systems (water pipes, heating, ducts and lifts) are exposed to passers-by, creating a striking mechanical feel which seems more suited to an oil refinery than an insurance market. The style was dubbed ‘Bowellism’.
This freed up the interior to give Lloyds an uncluttered, adaptable space to suit its changing business needs for decades to come. It was this flexibility that won Rogers the commission.
The building was squeezed into a small corner of the City of London. Richard Rogers wrote in his book, Architecture: a modern view, “we set out to enhance the narrow medieval street pattern of the city by building over the whole site. This allows the viewer to catch only glimpses of the building, which is therefore designed to be seen in parts.”
The quality of the materials, the imagination of the design and the scale of the building commands you to stop. To let the busy business people rush past while you take time to absorb the details, notice the shapes and admire the gleaming metallic finishes.
On completion, the client asked “Why didn’t you tell us it would look like this?”, to which Rogers replied “Because I didn’t know.”
All the architects knew was that they were making something beautiful. But there is nothing logical about making an office look like this except because they could (and the client let them).
Next time you are in London and you want to challenge your pre-conceptions of an England of Georgian terraces, Cotswold cottages and Gothic churches, you know where to go.
Would you like to see more buildings which will make you go:
Like artists, architects want to push the boundaries and build something different and remarkable. And I agree, the building is amazing. But since all the services and pipes are exposed to the elements, maintaining the building is very costly. So much so that Lloyds are considering moving. Also, I read that demolition, if and when that time comes, would be very complicated. Good design should also be practical.
I love the Lloyds building and always swing by whenever I’m in that part of London. Great set of photos and background to this wonderful building.