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Ministry of Defence Main Building

Coordinates:51°30′14″N0°07′30″W/ 51.5040°N 0.1249°W/51.5040; -0.1249
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Ministry of Defence Main Building
Map
Former namesWhitehall Gardens Building
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeGovernment office
AddressWhitehall
City of Westminster
SW1A 2HB
Town or cityLondon
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′14″N0°07′30″W/ 51.5040°N 0.1249°W/51.5040; -0.1249
Current tenantsMinistry of Defence (MOD)
Completed1959;65 years ago(1959)
Renovated2000–2004
Renovation cost£746 million
OwnerHM Government
Height
ArchitecturalNeoclassical
Technical details
MaterialPortland stoneandcopperroof
Floor count13 (10 above ground and 3 below)
Design and construction
Architect(s)E. Vincent Harris
DeveloperHM Government
Other designersSir Charles Wheeler(Sculptor)
David McFall(Sculptor)
Main contractorTrollope & Colls
Renovating team
Architect(s)HOK
Renovating firmMinistry of Defence and Modus Services
Structural engineerAlan Baxter
Services engineerWSP
Main contractorSkanska
Other information
Public transit accessLondon UndergroundWestminster
London River ServicesWestminster Millennium Pier
Listed Building– Grade I
Official nameMinistry of Defence, containing Sixteenth Century undercroft and historic rooms numbers 13, 24, 25, 27 and 79
Designated14 January 1970
Reference no.1278223

TheMinistry of Defence Main BuildingorMOD Main Building,also known asMOD Whitehallor originally as theWhitehall Gardens Building,is agrade I listedgovernment office building located onWhitehallinLondon.The building was designed byE. Vincent Harrisin 1915 and constructed between 1939 and 1959 on part of the site of thePalace of Whitehall,specifically Pelham House, Cromwell House,Montagu House,Pembroke Houseand part ofWhitehall Gardens.It was initially occupied by theAir Ministryand theBoard of Tradebefore becoming the current home of theMinistry of Defencein 1964.

By the 1990s the building was no longer considered fit for purpose and had become expensive to maintain. A major refurbishment was therefore undertaken between 2000 and 2004 through aprivate finance initiativecontract.

Location

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Map of Whitehall showing the MOD Main Building in relation to other government buildings and the River Thames.
Map ofWhitehallshowing the MOD Main Building in relation to other government buildings and theRiver Thames

Comprising a site of 3 hectares (7.4 acres), the building is located onWhitehallwithin theCity of Westminster,centralLondon.Whitehall is lined with numerous government departments and offices and is close to theHouses of Parliament.Whitehall is located to the west. Between Whitehall and Main Building isBanqueting Housewhich is the only remaining component of thePalace of Whitehallto survive intact. To the north isHorse Guards Avenue.The street is home toWhitehall Courtand also theOld War Office building,former government offices which have been converted into mixed use development including a hotel, restaurants and apartments. The building is separated fromVictoria Embankmentand theRiver Thamesto the east by public gardens known as Whitehall Gardens. Richmond Terrace is to the south and is now used as a private car park, although a public pedestrian route is maintained. Adjacent to Richmond Terrace is theCurtis Green Building,the headquarters of theMetropolitan Police Servicesince November 2016 and otherwise known asNew Scotland Yard.TheDepartment of Healthoccupies the neighbouring building,Richmond House.

The building is located within the WhitehallConservation Area,and was identified byWestminster City Councilas a landmark building within their 2003 audit of the conservation area.[1]

Queen Mary's Steps, once part of thePalace of Whitehall,are near the north east corner of the building. They indicate the position of the river before theThames Embankmentwas built.[2]

Early history

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Previous use of site

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The building is located on the site of the Palace of Whitehall, which was the main residence of theEnglishmonarchsin London from 1530 until 1698 when most of its structures were destroyed by a fire. Despite some rebuilding, financial constraints prevented large scale reconstruction. In the second half of the 18th century, much of the site was leased for the construction of town houses. By the early 19th century some of theGeorgiantown houses were occupied as government offices.[3]

Design and construction

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In 1909, a decision was taken to construct a new significant government building on theWhitehall Gardenssite, primarily to be used by theBoard of Trade.ArchitectE. Vincent Harriswon a national competition in 1915 to design the building. The selected site was proposed to extend over Whitehall Gardens and ground adjacent toVictoria Embankment.Opposition to this idea however led to the southern building-line extending no further than that of the neighbouringWhitehall CourtandNational Liberal Clubbuildings to the north. This resulted in a reduction of proposed floor space of approximately 10,000 square feet (930 m2). Due to the outbreak of theFirst World Warthe start of work was delayed.[4]

TheOffice of Worksissued a requirement in 1933 for a significantly larger building and Harris was again selected as architect. The building was to comprise a single block in theNeoclassicaldesign, faced inPortland stone,some 128 feet (39 m) high and 570 feet (170 m) long, with a depth of 205 feet (62 m), widening to 300 feet (91 m) feet. It was to be formed as four internal blocks of ten storeys surrounding three internal courtyards with the two main elevations facing Whitehall and the Victoria Embankment.[4]

Work was again delayed due to theinterwar economic depression.However, activity started on site in 1938 when town houses in Whitehall Gardens were demolished. Five rooms fromPembroke House,Cromwell House and Cadogan House were dismantled and incorporated into the building as conference rooms. The rooms are now known as the "Historic Rooms" and are located on the third and fourth floors (seeHistoric Roomssection).[5]

Henry VIIII's wine cellar beneath Main Building.
Henry VIII's wine cellar beneath Main Building

Due to the wishes ofQueen Maryand after providing assurances to Parliament, arrangements were made for the preservation of a 16th-centuryTudorbrick-vaulted wine cellar which had originally been located in Cadogan House, the York Place home ofCardinal Wolsey.The 70 feet (21 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide cellar consists of 10 bays with 4 octagonal piers and had been incorporated into Whitehall Palace byHenry VIII.The cellar was similar in design and construction to the wine cellar atHampton Court Palace,featuring brick with stone dressings. Prior to the redevelopment of the site it had been used as a luncheon room by theMinistry of Transport.The existing position of the cellar was not compatible with the plans for the new building so it was decided to move it so it could be incorporated into the basement.[6]

Construction progress on the building was short-lived as work largely stopped in 1939 at the outbreak of theSecond World War.[7]Work recommenced at the end of hostilities and in 1949 the wine cellar was encased by the contractor,Trollope & Colls,in protective layers of concrete, steel and brick and placed on mahogany cushions, carriage rails and steel rollers.[8]It was then moved 43 feet 6 inches (13.26 m) to one side onto a specially designed steel frame so that a 20-foot (6.1 m) hole could be created on its original site. The 1,000 ton structure was lowered onscrewjacks,and then moved 33 feet 10 inches (10.31 m) back to its final position.[6]

Opening and operational use

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Main Building with Whitehall Gardens in the foreground

In 1951, the northern end of the building was ready for occupation by theBoard of Trade.TheAir Ministrytook occupation of the southern part of the building when it was completed in 1959.[9]

The Whitehall Gardens Building, as it was known when it opened, was Harris' last major work and the last significant neoclassical style government building. The September 1951 edition ofBuildingmagazine praised the new building; however, it became known as the 'Whitehall Monster' and was described by architectural historianNikolaus Pevsneras a 'monument of tiredness'.[10][9]

In 1964, the former incarnation of theMinistry of Defence,theAdmiralty,theWar Officeand the Air Ministry, were combined to form the modernMinistry of Defence.This generated a requirement for a single large building to accommodate staff for the new ministry and the Whitehall Gardens Building was identified as the preferred option, with the Board of Trade moving to theVictoriaarea of London.[9]

On 14 January 1970, the building wasgrade I listedbyEnglish Heritageas a building of exceptional interest.[11]

Redevelopment

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Contract

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The three internal courtyards were enclosed to create atriums as part of the building's redevelopment in the early 2000s

In the early 1990s, the MOD recognised that the condition of Main Building was no longer fit for modern business requirements. Maintenance had become expensive and inefficient and the building no longer met modern safety standards. At the same time, the MOD was seeking to reduce the number of staff it had within London so that it could make savings by consolidating its built estate. The decision was therefore made to redevelop Main Building and a 30-year longprivate finance initiative(PFI) contract for the redevelopment and ongoing maintenance & facilities management of the building was awarded in May 2000. The contract also included the refurbishment, maintenance and running of three central London MOD offices (Northumberland House,Metropole Buildingand St Giles' Court) to temporarily accommodate staff decanted from Main Building during the redevelopment.[3]The capital expenditure involved was £531 million.[12]

The contract winner, Modus, was a consortium consisting ofInnisfree PFI Funds(40.1% shareholding), Laing Investments (40.1%) andAmey Ventures(19.9%). American firmHOKwas selected as architecture and interior design consultant, Alan Baxter as structural engineers andWSPas mechanical & electrical engineers.[13][14]Kværner Constructionwere the main construction contractor; however, in August 2000 Kværner was bought over by Swedish multinationalSkanska.[15][16]

Construction

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The decant of staff to other buildings was completed in August 2001. In September of that year a ceremony took place to mark the commencement of works when Skanska's CEO Keith Clarke andChief of Defence StaffAdmiral Sir Michael BoyceassistedSecretary of State for DefenceGeoff Hoonto demolish a wall of his old office.[17]

Staff within anatriumarea at Main Building

The redevelopment saw the existing cellular room layout changed into an open-plan office layout to improve collaboration between staff and the working environment. All mechanical and electrical services were upgraded along with IT networks. New communal spaces were created including a library, restaurant, coffee shop, business & press suite and nursery. The internal courtyards were enclosed to create three newatriawithin the building.[18]Security andanti-terrorismmeasures were integrated into the building, with the MOD changing such requirements after the9/11 terrorist attacks.Original historic features of the building were protected and restored during the redevelopment, such as the replacement of oak doors andterrazzo marblefloor of the Pillared Hall.[3]All 2,494 metal windows in the building were refurbished and repaired.[19]

The capacity of the building was increased from 2,800 to 3,300 staff. This allowed the MOD to dispose of five buildings in central London, these being Northumberland House, the Metropole Building,Great Scotland Yard,St. Giles Court and St Christopher House.[3]

The building was handed back to the MOD in July 2004 and re-occupation by 3,150 staff was completed in September 2004, two months ahead of schedule.[3]

Controversy

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The MOD were accused of excessive spending on the redevelopment project. Specific allegations included the cost ofHerman Miller Aeronoffice chairs which had a retail price of £1,050 each, lavish spending on the refurbishment of historic features and the provision of staff facilities including the coffee shop, restaurant and quiet rooms. In response, the MOD said that chairs were purchased at a large discount (approximately a third of the normal price); many of the aspects of the refurbishment relating to historic features were required byEnglish Heritage,reflecting the building's grade I listed status; and that staff facilities were generally not subsidised, were required to ensure an acceptable level of staff welfare and to provide a suitable working environment.[3][20]

The Ministry of Defence plaque outside the south door of Main Building.
The Ministry of Defence plaque outside the south door of Main Building

In April 2002, whilst redevelopment was still under way, theNational Audit Office(NAO) considered the extent to which the PFI contract was likely to delivervalue for moneyand the effectiveness of MOD's management of the project. The NAO report was generally favourable and found that the contract would provide what the MOD wished to procure, that the benefits of the contract would be similar in cost to that estimated for conventional procurement (other factors had tipped the balance in favour of PFI) and that the management of the project had been good.[21]

A subsequent report by theHouse of CommonsPublic Accounts Committeein January 2003 was less favourable. The committee was critical of the MOD's choice of PFI over other forms of procurement and considered that there was no guarantee that the contract, valued at £2.4 billion over its lifetime, will deliver value for money. The report also criticised the MOD for delays in concluding the final contract which resulted in increased costs and for poor forward planning, which resulted a separate deal being required to accommodate 500 additional staff in London.[3][22][23]

Architectural features

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Architectural sculpture

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Earth and Water located at the northern entrance.
EarthandWater,located at the northern entrance.

The northerntetrastyle porticoentrance to the building, onHorse Guards Avenue,is flanked by two large statues,EarthandWater,by the sculptorSir Charles Wheeler.The figures weigh 40 tonnes each and cost £12,600. Similar figures representing "air" and "fire" were intended to be installed at the south end of the building; however, these were never constructed. During the 1950s, building staff nicknamed the statues "Mr and Mrs Parkinson", afterCyril Northcote Parkinson,the Board of Trade civil servant who devisedParkinson's Lawwhich states "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". More recently MOD staff refer to the statues as the "Two Fat Ladies".[9][24]

Thebadgeof theRAFis carved into stone columns either side of the southern entrance to the building, reflecting its initial use by the Air Ministry. The badge, featuring an Eagle superimposed on a circlet which is surmounted by a crown, was sculpted byDavid McFall.[25]

Statues

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Several military statues exist in the grounds of the building or in close proximity.

Historic Rooms

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Five rooms from buildings which were previously on the site were dismantled and incorporated into the building as conference rooms when the building was originally built. They are now known as the "Historic Rooms".[11]

  • Historic Room No.13 dates from around 1757 and was a reception room from Pembroke House. It features a decorative plaster ceiling withmodillioncornicing. There is anIoniccolumned andpilasteredframed alcove and female maskkeystonewithin the arch beneathentablatureand flanking bays. There are 6-panel doors placed on circular panels.[11]
  • Historic Room No. 24 dates from 1757 and was also part of Pembroke House. It is similar to room no.13, but has an elaboratedalcoveopposite a bay window in three part arrangement with decorative doors on each side in a frame offlutedIonic columns sitting onpedestals.There is a decorative plasterwork ceiling with spider's web design and modillion cornicing and a carvedarabesqueornamented window shutter panels.[11]
  • Historic Room No. 25 is the former dining room from Pembroke House. It dates from 1773 and was designed by SirWilliam Chambersand features a decorated plasterwork ceiling and an elaborate chimneypiece designed byWilliam Kent,which is believed to originate from Cadogan House.[11]
  • Historic Room No. 27 is the former saloon of Pembroke House and dates from 1760. It was also designed by Sir William Chambers and features an elaboratePalladianstyle compartmented plasterwork ceiling andCorinthiancolumned and pedimented doorway with carved detailing.[11]
  • Historic Room No. 79 was formerly part of Cromwell House and dates from around 1722. It is a completely panelled room with decorated modillion cornicing, the north wall featuring elaborated carvedarchitravecentral panel, the east wall has a formerly open three part pilasteredarcadeand an ornate carved pinechimneypiece.There areconsolessupporting the mantle, carved with eagle heads and a pedimentedovermantel.[11]

Facilities

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Beneath Main Building is a three-storey bunker complex housing theDefence Crisis Management Centre (DCMC),otherwise known as "Pindar" after theancient Greek poet.The DCMC provides the government with a protected crisis management facility. Government ministers, senior military and civilian personnel, service and civilian operational and support staff are allocated space within the complex. The DCMC cost £126.3 million to construct and fit-out and became operational on 7 December 1992.[30]

Security

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The northern entrance to Main Building

On 1 June 2007, the building was designated as a protected site for the purposes of Section 128 of theSerious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.The effect of the act was to make it a specific criminal offence for a person totrespassinto the building. The restriction also includes the wall and vehicle ramps on the west side of the building adjoining Whitehall Gardens and Raleigh Green; however, it does not include the steps, ramps and porticos that give access to the inside of the building.[31]

In August 2016,The Timesnewspaper reported that the specialist armed unit of theMinistry of Defence Policewhich guards Main Building could cease to carry out such duties. The MOD would only confirm that it was reviewing security arrangements at Main Building.[32]

Protestors fromPalestine Actionand Youth Demand sprayed red paint on the walls of the building on 10 April 2024. Several people were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.[33]The MOD estimated that it would cost at least £60,000 to remove the paint.[34]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^"Whitehall Conservation Area Audit"(PDF).Westminster City Council.19 December 2003. p. 27.Retrieved6 September2017.
  2. ^"Queen Mary's Steps and Fragment of Whitehall Palace, Non Civil Parish - 1066636".Historic England.Retrieved8 June2024.
  3. ^abcdefg"MOD London Offices".Ministry of Defence.Archived fromthe originalon 18 October 2012.Retrieved11 September2017.
  4. ^abMinistry of Defence 2001,pp. 24–25.
  5. ^Ministry of Defence 2001,pp. 25–26.
  6. ^abMinistry of Defence 2001,pp. 25–27.
  7. ^Ministry of Defence 2001,pp. 26–27.
  8. ^"The Last Places".24 January 2013.Retrieved27 July2019.
  9. ^abcdMinistry of Defence 2001,p. 27.
  10. ^Curl, James Stevens; Wilson, Susan (2015).The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture.Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN9780191053856.
  11. ^abcdefgHistoric England(25 September 2017)."Ministry of Defence, Containing Sixteenth Century Undercroft and Historic Rooms Numbers 13, 24, 25, 27 and 79, City of Westminster (1278223)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved25 September2017.
  12. ^"Defence Accommodation".Innisfree.Retrieved7 May2018.
  13. ^"Ministry of Defence Main Building".HOK.Retrieved22 September2017.
  14. ^"MOD Headquarters".Arena Four Architects.Retrieved22 September2017.
  15. ^"Kvaerner signs MoD Whitehall refurbishment deal".Skanska.5 May 2000.Retrieved22 September2017.
  16. ^Litterick, David (29 August 2000)."Skanska buys Kvaerner arm for £180m".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved22 September2017.
  17. ^"MOD Minister's office demolished as construction begins at Whitehall".Skanska.7 September 2001.Retrieved22 September2017.
  18. ^"MOD Whitehall".Skanska.Retrieved22 September2017.
  19. ^"Past projects".Steel Windows Service.Retrieved19 November2017.
  20. ^Smith, Michael (11 July 2004)."MoD chairs £1,000 each as troops face axe".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved27 September2017.
  21. ^"Ministry of Defence: Redevelopment of MOD Main Building: Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General HC 748 Session 2001–2002: 18 April 2002"(PDF).National Audit Office.18 April 2002. p. 2.Retrieved22 September2017.
  22. ^Osborne, Alistair (30 January 2003)."MoD blamed for 'spurious' PFI deal".The Telegraph.ISSN0307-1235.Retrieved22 September2017.
  23. ^Committee of Public Accounts(15 January 2003)."Private Finance Initiative: Redevelopment of Main Building"(PDF).Parliament.UK.The Stationery Office.
  24. ^"Air and Water".Ministry of Defence.Archived fromthe originalon 14 December 2004.Retrieved27 September2017.
  25. ^"1958/3 Air Ministry".davidmcfall.co.uk.Retrieved22 September2017.
  26. ^Historic England(22 September 2017)."STATUE OF GENERAL GORDON, City of Westminster (1066175)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved22 September2017.
  27. ^Historic England(22 September 2017)."Statue of Lord Trenchard, City of Westminster (1237902)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved22 September2017.
  28. ^Historic England(22 September 2017)."Royal Air Force Memorial Whitehall Stairs, City of Westminster (1066171)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved22 September2017.
  29. ^"RAF Memorial".Imperial War Museums.Retrieved22 September2017.
  30. ^"PINDAR Bunker (HC Deb 29 April 1994 vol 242 cc392-4W)".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).29 April 1994.Retrieved25 September2017.
  31. ^"Home Office Circular 018 / 2007 (Trespass on protected sites – sections 128–131 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005)".GOV.UK.Home Office. 22 May 2007.Retrieved18 July2017.
  32. ^Haynes, Deborah (19 August 2016)."MoD guard could be stood down despite terror threat".The Times.ISSN0140-0460.Retrieved22 September2017.
  33. ^Geiger, Chas (10 April 2024)."Pro-Palestinian protesters spray red paint on Ministry of Defence".BBC News.Retrieved8 June2024.
  34. ^"Ministry of Defence: Graffiti".TheyWorkForYou.15 May 2024.Retrieved8 June2024.

Sources

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