Perhaps the clearest and cruellest indication of time’s winged chariot approaching is the awarding of Grade I status to buildings that have risen from their foundations within your lifetime. Nevertheless, unnerving notions of mortality aside, English Heritage are making a push for Lime Street’s postmodern Lloyds Building to be assigned exactly that status. Should Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt sanction the proposal it would be the first postmodern commercial property to receive such status, enjoying the same protection as the more regal castles, cathedrals and country houses throughout the UK.
Designed by architect Richard Rogers, the 14-storey stainless steel-clad tower is notable for its unique ‘inside out’ facade (twelve glass lifts, heating ducts, electrical power cables and lavatories all on the outside), and it is this exterior that English Heritage, Lloyd’s Chief Executive Richard Ward and the Twentieth Century Society are seeking to preserve.
Or, more specifically, they want to preserve the views of this distinctive facade from the nearby area. With the proliferation of newer and taller commercial properties scraping the surrounding skies there are fears that the Lloyds Building will be dwarfed or overshadowed, in turn diluting the sense of individuality and character the Lloyds Building contributes to the City of London skyline.
And, given that the modern metropolis is more inclined to spread up-ways than sideways, Jeremy Hunt’s opinion could be something of a landmark decision for the conventional criteria for designation of listed status. Previously, protection from change or demolition have been the only reasons for structures under thirty years old (usually commercial property) becoming listed. However, the accession of the Lloyds Building to this category in order to help preserve what is left of its external panoramas is an additional consideration through which a new precedent may be established.
The conferral of Grade I listing will also contribute to the Lloyds Buildings position as a London tourist attraction; the site is frequently visited by school groups and the general public, and even has its own gift shop. However, as the building will continue to be a functioning commercial property, a Grade I status will only be feasible provided internal alterations are allowed, so as not to be restrictive to changing business requirements.
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