St James Park Station |
| Hob Uid: 509196 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City of Westminster
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ2960079470 |
| Summary : The original St James's Park station was opened on 24th December 1868 by the District Railway. In 1869 it was enlarged, and a new office block built which was to house the Underground Group and become known as Electric Railway House. By the late 1920s the Underground Group had outgrown its existing premises and employed Charles Holden to build a modern office block on a triangular site bounded by Broadway, Tothill and Palmer streets to the east of Electric Railway House; named after its postal address 55 Broadway. A new St James's Park station was also to be incorporated into the block. Built between 1927-9, it is a Portland stone ashlar faced, steel framed, cruciform building which developed Holden's earlier theme of stacked cubic masses in a remarkably frank modern idiom for an office building of this date in London, which nevertheless retains classical references in its architectural detailing. Built on a difficult tapering corner site the design ingeniously and functionally accommodates both the needs of the underground station and a large number of offices, by means of two storeys covering the whole site, over the centre of which rises a 53m high tower with four spur wings. The interior displays the extensive use of expensive materials, and the lighting and supporting columns in the booking hall were completed in the same manner. This hall also featured a solid marble base for the ticket booth, which was the only one of its kind. Away from public gaze were open plan offices for the Underground staff. All fitments were designed personally by Holden, including lamp standards and the furniture of the senior executives' offices. High on the outside of the building were eight sculptures, representing the four winds. Among the artists commissioned to produce these were Eric Gill, Eric Aumonier and Henry Moore. Further down the building, at first floor level, were two sculptures by Jacob Epstein entitled 'Night' and 'Day'. |
| More information : The original St James's Park station was opened on 24th December 1868 by the District Railway. In 1869 it was enlarged, and a new office block built which was to house the Underground Group and become known as Electric Railway House. By the late 1920s the Underground Group had outgrown its existing premises and employed Charles Holden to build a modern office block on a triangular site bounded by Broadway, Tothill and Palmer streets to the east of Electric Railway House; named after its postal address 55 Broadway. A new St James's Park station was also to be incorporated into the block. Built between 1927-9, it is a Portland stone ashlar faced, steel framed, cruciform building which developed Holden's earlier theme of stacked cubic masses in a remarkably frank modern idiom for an office building of this date in London, which nevertheless retains classical references in its architectural detailing. Built on a difficult tapering corner site the design ingeniously and functionally accommodates both the needs of the underground station and a large number of offices, by means of two storeys covering the whole site, over the centre of which rises a 53m high tower with four spur wings. The interior displays the extensive use of expensive materials, and the lighting and supporting columns in the booking hall were completed in the same manner. This hall also featured a solid marble base for the ticket booth, which was the only one of its kind. Away from public gaze were open plan offices for the Underground staff. All fitments were designed personally by Holden, including lamp standards and the furniture of the senior executives' offices. High on the outside of the building were eight sculptures, representing the four winds. Among the artists commissioned to produce these were Eric Gill, Eric Aumonier and Henry Moore. Further down the building, at first floor level, were two sculptures by Jacob Epstein entitled 'Night' and 'Day'. Listed. (1-3) |