10 Trinity Square is a Grade II*
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
in London, United Kingdom, overlooking the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
at
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is the area surrounding the Tower of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is infamous for the public execution of high status prisoners from the late 14th to the mid 18th century. The execution site on the higher gro ...
, in the southeastern corner of the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
. Built in the
Beaux Arts style
Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpora ...
, it is best known as the former headquarters of the
Port of London Authority and is thus also sometimes referred to as the Port of London Authority Building.
Since 2017, it has been operating as the
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square.
Location
As the name implies, the building is located at 10 Trinity Square, close to the River Thames,
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames clos ...
, and the
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...
, in the southeast of the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
. It occupies the northwestern corner of Trinity Square and faces Trinity Square Gardens.
History
The
Beaux Arts structure was designed by Sir
Edwin Cooper and built by
John Mowlem & Co in 1912–22 as the new headquarters of the Port of London Authority. It was opened by
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...
, then the
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...
, in 1922, in the presence of the architect and
Lord Devonport, the Authority's first chairman. At the time, it was one of the city's tallest buildings.
During its heyday, the building was frequented by hundreds of people each day who were paying their dues on goods landed in the port. Under a large dome supported by marble columns, the central rotunda of the building housed walnut and brass counters radiating out from a central clock.
The building was badly damaged by German bombing during
the Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
; the domed rotunda was destroyed. When renovated in the 1970s, a functional rectangular office block was built to occupy the central part of the building which had been destroyed in the war, changing the effect of the originally 40 m wide courtyard in the building's centre.
It was occupied as the Global headquarters of insurance broker
Willis Faber Limited following the relocation of the PLA to Smithfield. Willis is now based in the
Willis Building in nearby
Lime Street.
The PLA is now based elsewhere in the City of London and at
Gravesend.
In 2006, 10 Trinity Square was acquired by Thomas Enterprises Inc. It was sold to a partnership of KOP Group and
Reignwood in 2010. KOP lost their stake to Reignwood in 2012. It was redeveloped into a 100-room hotel with 41 private residences and a private members' club under the
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is an international luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide.D ...
brand known as "Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square". The hotel opened in 2017.
As part of the renovation, archaeologists were consulted who excavated the rotunda and a public garden in Seething Lane. The site of 10 Trinity Square was previously occupied by a 17th-century building by
Christopher Wren. It housed the
Navy Board
The Navy Board (formerly known as the Council of the Marine or Council of the Marine Causes) was the commission responsible for the day-to-day civil administration of the Royal Navy between 1546 and 1832. The board was headquartered within the ...
, the administration of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, and
Samuel Pepys had an office there. In the 18th century, part of the site was occupied by a warehouse of the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
. The lowest strata revealed shards and ornaments from the time of
Roman London.
The building's exterior has been featured in many films and television shows, including
''The Professionals'', ''
Kavanagh QC'', ''
The Crown (TV series)
''The Crown'' is a historical drama television series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, created and principally written by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television for Netflix. Morgan developed it from ...
'', and the 2012 James Bond film, ''
Skyfall
''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the vill ...
''.
Description
![10 Trinity Square, 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/10_Trinity_Square%2C_2012.jpg)
The façade features
Corinthian columns
The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...
and a large allegorical statue of Father Thames.
There is a new rotunda at the centre of the hotel, but it has a much smaller dome than the original. The inner courtyard is also much smaller, reduced in area by a "glass box" building that provides space for the hotel rooms. The old board room of the Port of London Authority with its walnut paneling and rich carvings, which in 1946 hosted the reception for the first meeting of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
, has been restored. The staircases feature ironwork with the Port Authority logo.
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
describes the building as follows: "Large, detached, monumental building of
Portland stone. Nearly square plan with entrance at canted south east corner. Plain courtyard formerly filled by large rotunda destroyed in World War II. four storeys plus basement and slated mansard treated as stone attic to end pavilions and at entrance. Deep entablature with pairs of Corinthian columns in antis to pavilions. four columned entrance portico, also in antis, the entablature topped by balustrade in front of attic. Above rises broad tower embellished with order of Corinthian pilasters and piers, arched niche and colossal figure sculpture. Stepped upper part. Entrance hall, corridors etc of some distinction. Suite of richly paneled rooms on second floor, notably dining room, chairman's room and board room, east 2 with exceptional carved decoration."
References
External links
*
*
About PLA – World War I Memorial Tablets
{{Hotels in London
Clubs and societies in London
Four Seasons hotels and resorts
Grade II* listed buildings in the City of London
Hotels in London
Office buildings in London