Description

TQ 3080 SW CITY OF WESTMINSTER WHITEHALL SW1 83/67 (East side) 5.2.70 War Office (Ministry of Defence) GV II* Government offices. 1898 by William Young, completed 1907, after latter's death in 1901, by his son Clyde Young and Sir John Taylor. Portland stone, slate and leaded roofs. The 2nd of the vast government office blocks begun in 1898, related to Brydon's design,using similar English Baroque references, if rather cramped in composition, distinguished by the bowed corner pavilions surmounted by Baroque cupolas which disguise the irregular plan of the deep island site; the cupolas an essential part of the Whitehall roofscape, in particular when viewed from St. James's Park. 5 storeys comprising ground floor and mezzanine- 1st floor,on basement,as podium to 2 main storeys with attic storey above; the corner pavilions surmounted by 2-tier cupolas. 9-bay centre block flanked by one bay aediculed pavilions and with 3-window bowed corner pavilions. Channelled wall plane, ashlar orders and dressings in bold relief. Main entrance has tetrastyle portico with rusticated Doric columns, deep entablature and parapet with coat of arms. Recessed glazing bar sashes, those in 2 main storeys in Gibbs surrounds, set in giant Ionic colonnade to main block and similar to bowed corners, the segmental pedimented and Ionic pilastered aedicule-pavilions framing large rusticated Venetian windows. Deep entablature over 3rd floor; blind attic over main block, stepped up behind aedicule-pavilions with large figure sculpture on segmental pediments; architraved attic windows to bowed corners; the stone domed cupolas have pairs of columns diagonally set to their main stages Similar details to other elevations, the Horse Guards Avenue front with central triple archway to main courtyard. The Whitehall entrance leads through a low hall to an ambitious main staircase of the grand club type starting in one flight and dividing to rise along 3 walls of glazed dome compartment; offices have 13 reset C18 marble chimney pieces acquired in 1904 from former War Office premises in Pall Mall; etc. Edwardian Architecture: Alistair Service London. Vol I; N Pevsner Country Life, vol 135 (14 May 1964)

Listing NGR: TQ3016280156

External Links

• Wikidata Q58454576

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