Senate House is the administrative centre of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, situated in the heart of

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

, London, immediately to the north of the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. The

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

building was constructed between 1932 and 1937 as the first phase of a large uncompleted scheme designed for the university by

Charles Holden Charles Henry Holden (12 May 1875 – 1 May 1960) was an English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadwa ...

. It consists of 19 floors and is high. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the building's use by the Ministry of Information inspired two works of fiction by English writers. The earliest,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

's novel '' The Ministry of Fear'' (1943), inspired a 1944 film adaptation directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

set in Bloomsbury. The description of the

Ministry of Truth The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are the four ministries of the government of Oceania in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', by George Orwell. The use of contradictor ...

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's novel ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...

'' (1949) evokes the Senate House. His wife Eileen worked in the building for the Censorship Department of the Ministry of Information. Today the main building houses the University of London's Central Academic Bodies and activities, including the offices of the vice-chancellor of the university, the entire collection of the Senate House Library, six of the eight research institutes of the

School of Advanced Study The School of Advanced Study (SAS), a postgraduate-only institution of the University of London, is the UK's national centre for the promotion and facilitation of research in the humanities and social sciences. It was established in 1994 and ...

, as well as departments of distance learning provider

University of London Worldwide The University of London Worldwide (previously called the University of London International Academy) is the central academic body that manages external study programmes within the federal University of London. All courses are branded as simply ...

History

After the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

the

, then based at the Imperial Institute in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

was in urgent need of new office and teaching space to allow for its growth and expansion. In 1921, the government bought of land in

from the

Duke of Bedford Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 for Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of Fran ...

to provide a new site for the university. However, many within the university were opposed to a move, and, in 1926, the Duke bought back the land. However, the election of

William Beveridge William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge, (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was a Progressivism, progressive, social reformer, and eugenicist who played a central role ...

to the post of

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the university in June 1926 was highly significant as Beveridge supported a move to Bloomsbury. Beveridge persuaded the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller (" ...

to donate £400,000 to the university and the original site was reacquired in 1927. Senate House UoL Interior

Beveridge saw the university as one "for the nation and the world, drawing from overseas as many students as Oxford and Cambridge and all the other English universities together."Beveridge, quoted by and specified that "the central symbol of the University on the Bloomsbury site can not fittingly look like an imitation of any other university, it must not be a replica from the Middle Ages. It should be something that could not have been built by any earlier generation than this, and can only be at home in London ... (the building) means a chance to enrich London – to give London at its heart not just more streets and shops ... but a great architectural feature ... an academic island in swirling tides of traffic, a world of learning in a world of affairs." The grand

design was the work of

, who was appointed as architect in March 1931 from a short list which also included

Giles Gilbert Scott Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (9 November 1880 – 8 February 1960) was a British architect known for his work on the New Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Battersea Power Station, Liverpool Cathedral, and de ...

, Percy Scott Worthington, and

Arnold Dunbar Smith Arnold Dunbar Smith (2 December 18667 December 1933) was an English architect who in 1897 formed Smith & Brewer (18971949) with Cecil Claude Brewer (18711918) who were responsible for the design of the Mary Ward House in London (1899) and the ...

. In making their choice, Beveridge and the Principal, Edwin Deller, were influenced by the success of Holden's recently completed 55 Broadway, designed as the headquarters for the London Electric Railway and then the tallest office building in London. Holden's original plan for the university building was for a single structure covering the whole site, stretching almost from Montague Place to Torrington Street. It comprised a central spine linked by a series of wings to the perimeter façade and enclosing a series of courtyards. The scheme was to be topped by two towers; the taller Senate House and a smaller one to the north. The design featured elevations of load-bearing brick work faced with

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone geological formation (formally named the Portland Stone Formation) dating to the Tithonian age of the Late Jurassic that is quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. The quarries are cut in beds of whi ...

.Holden used Portland stone frequently as he considered it "the only stone that washes itself" (Karol), capable of withstanding London's then smoggy atmosphere. Construction began in 1932 and was undertaken by Holland, Hannen & Cubitts. King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

laid the ceremonial foundation stone on 26 June 1933 and the first staff moved in during 1936, the university's centenary year. On 27 November 1936, a group of university officials, led by the Principal, Sir Edwin Deller, went out to inspect the work in progress. Suddenly, without warning, a

skip Skip or Skips may refer to: Acronyms * SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene * Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol * SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aiding ...

being pushed by a workman overhead accidentally fell down and hit them. All were rushed to

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College Lo ...

, where three days later, Deller died of his injuries. Due to a lack of funds, the full design was gradually cut back, and only the Senate House and Library were completed in 1937, although the external flanking wings of the north-eastern courtyard were not constructed. As he had with his earlier buildings, Holden also prepared the designs for the individual elements of the interior design. The completion of the buildings for the Institute of Education and the School of Oriental Studies followed, but the onset of the

prevented any further progress on the full scheme.

Critical opinion

The architectural character and scale of the building has received both positive and negative criticism since its construction. Steen Eiler Rasmussen, a friend of Holden, commented that, with the expansive design, "the London University is swallowing more and more of the old houses, and this quarter – which the Duke of Bedford laid out for good domestic houses – has taken on quite a different character." – quoted in Karol.

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

, in '' Put Out More Flags'' (1942), describes it as "the vast bulk of London University insulting the autumnal sky." – quoted in Karol. Positive comments came from functionalist architect

Erich Mendelsohn Erich Mendelsohn (); 21 March 1887 – 15 September 1953) was a German-British architect, known for his expressionist architecture in the 1920s, as well as for developing a dynamic functionalism in his projects for department stores and cinem ...

in 1938, who wrote to Holden that he was "very much taken and am convinced that there is no finer building in London." Architectural historian Arnold Whittick described the building as a "static massive pyramid ... obviously designed to last for a thousand years", but thought "the interior is more pleasing than the exterior. There is essentially the atmosphere of dignity, serenity and repose that one associates with the architecture of ancient Greece."

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...

was less enthusiastic. He described its style as "strangely semi-traditional, undecided modernism" and summarised the result: "The design certainly does not possess the vigour and directness of Charles Holden's smaller Underground stations." Others have described it as

Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...

or as

totalitarian Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sph ...

due to its great scale. Holden recognised that his architectural style placed him in "rather a curious position, not quite in the fashion and not quite out of it; not enough of a traditionalist to please the traditionalists and not enough of a modernist to please the modernists."

Present day

Senate House remains a prominent landmark throughout Bloomsbury and is visible from some distance away. The building was listed as Grade II* in 1969. Following a multimillion-pound refurbishment in 2006, Senate House has also become
conference and event venue
playing host to some of the city's most prestigious events including

London Fashion Week London Fashion Week (LFW) is a clothing trade show that takes place in London, England, twice a year, in June and September. Showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers, it is one of the 'Big Four' fash ...

. Following the relaxation of the rules in the UK on university status under the

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

government and consequential stirrings towards full independence of the larger London University colleges, the future of Senate House and its library has from time to time been called into question. However, Senate House remains, and continues to be home both to the vice-chancellor of the University of London and to the deep resources of the university library; indeed, it re-opened in 2006 after undergoing a refurbishment to bring it up to modern standards and to reinstate some of Holden's original interiors. Some schools in constituent colleges, such as the Birkbeck School of Computer Science and Information Systems (until 2010), and the

(the UK's national centre for the facilitation and promotion of research in the humanities and social sciences) are or were based in Senate House.

SOAS The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

moved into the north block of Senate House from 2016. The main entrance is from Malet Street to the west and the rear entrance from

Russell Square Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, built predominantly by the firm of James Burton (property developer), James Burton. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Mus ...

to the east. In recent years, Senate House has been associated with high-profile industrial relations disputes. In December 2018, a boycott of the

, including Senate House, organised by the

Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. The IWGB is composed of eleven branches which organise workers within their chosen industry, run their own campaigns and have their own representat ...

and supported by a number of high-profile politicians, journalists and academics, including

John McDonnell John Martin McDonnell (born 8 September 1951) is a British politician who served as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2015 to 2020. He has been the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Hayes and Harlington ...

Owen Jones Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a left-wing British newspaper columnist, commentator, journalist, author and political activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'', ''Tribune (magazine), Tribune ...

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...

and

David Graeber David Rolfe Graeber (; February 12, 1961 – September 2, 2020) was an American and British anthropologist, Left-wing politics, left-wing and anarchism, anarchist social and political activist. His influential work in Social anthropology, social ...

came into effect. This campaign of 'direct action' aims to put pressure on the University of London to bring outsourced workers back into the employment of the university by targeting what is a major source of both prestige and revenue for the university. Numerous events during the 2018–19 academic year were cancelled or relocated, and over 350 individual academics, as well as a number of UCU branches all signatories to the campaign. In May 2019 receptionists, porters as well post room and audio-visual (AV) equipment workers were made University of London staff, followed by security guards in May 2020.

Senate House Library

Senate House Library (formerly known as the University of London Library) occupies the fourth to the 18th floors of the building, with the public areas of the library on the fourth to seventh floors. The library is open to staff and students of all colleges within the university (although levels of access differ between institutions) and contains material relevant chiefly to arts, humanities, and social science subjects. The library is administered by the central university as part the

Senate House Libraries The Senate House Libraries (SHL), formerly The University of London Research Library Services, was a group of Library, libraries based in Bloomsbury which together comprised an extensive research collection across the humanities and social scienc ...

, and in 2005 had more than 32,000 registered users. It holds around three million volumes, including 120,000 volumes printed before 1851. The library started with the foundation of the University of London in 1836, but began to develop from 1871 when a book fund was started. Along with a subscription to over 5,200 journals, other resources include the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature, and the

Palaeography Palaeography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, UK) or paleography (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, US) (ultimately from , , 'old', and , , 'to write') is the study and academic disciplin ...

room's collection of western European

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...

s. The library also holds over 170,000 theses by graduate students. From 2006 onwards, the library has been undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment process. The library is also home to the University of London archives, which include the central archive of the university itself and many other collections, including the papers of social reformer Charles Booth, philosopher

Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in '' ...

, actress and mystic Florence Farr, author and artist

Thomas Sturge Moore Thomas Sturge Moore (4 March 1870 – 18 July 1944) was a British poet, author and artist. Biography Sturge Moore was born at 3 Wellington Square, Hastings, East Sussex, on 4 March 1870 and educated at Dulwich College, the Croydon School ...

, writer Opal Whiteley, and publishing company Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. Since June 2021, the librarian has been Catríona Cannon; she is also director of the Library Transformation Programme for the University of London.

In popular culture

Due to its imposing architecture, Senate House is popular with the film and television industries as a shooting location; often for official buildings. It inspired the description of the

in George Orwell's ''

''. Films that have featured the building include the 1995 version of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (interior of a government building), the 1984 film of ''

'' (exterior of the apartment building where O'Brien lives), '' Blue Ice'' (a hotel), ''

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and written by Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata. The film stars Robert Redford and Brad Pitt as CIA operatives entangled in a covert rescue mission during the final day ...

'' (lobby of CIA Headquarters), ''

Batman Begins ''Batman Begins'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Dark Knight trilogy), Bruce Wayne / B ...

'' (lobby of a court), ''

The Dark Knight Rises ''The Dark Knight Rises'' is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the final instal ...

'' (a costume ball), ''

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang ''Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'' (released in the United States and Canada as ''Nanny McPhee Returns'') is a 2010 historical drama, period fantasy comedy film directed by Susanna White, produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Lindsay Doran with ...

'' (a war office), ''

Fast & Furious 6 ''Fast & Furious 6'' (titled onscreen as ''Furious 6'') is a 2013 action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast Five'' (2011) and the sixth installment in the '' Fast & Furious'' franchise. The fil ...

'' (Moscow Interpol HQ), '' Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit'' (Moscow restaurant), ''

No Time to Die ''No Time to Die'' is a 2021 spy thriller film and the twenty-fifth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series, and the fifth and final to star Daniel Craig as fictional British MI6 agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bon ...

'' (MI6 Reception) and '' The 355'' (a Shanghai casino). For television, the building has featured in ''

Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a British Aca ...

'' (the exterior of Wooster's Manhattan apartment building), ''

Killing Eve ''Killing Eve'' is a British spy thriller television series produced in the United Kingdom by Sid Gentle Films for BBC America and BBC Three (streaming service), BBC Three. The series follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a British intelligence age ...

'', and other programmes. Senate House is a prominent location in the first chapters of the 1951 post-apocalyptic novel '' The Day of the Triffids'' by

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his name ...

, and was thus used (as itself) in the television adaptation '' The Day of the Triffids''. In CJ Sansom’s 2014 alternative history novel, Dominion, the building has been taken over as the 1952 German embassy.

References

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

University of London

Senate House Library

School of Advanced Study, University of London

"The History of Senate House"
University of London
"History of University of London"
University of London
Senate House Events
University of London
Archives relating to the building of Senate House
{{good article Cultural and educational buildings in London Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden Grade II* listed educational buildings University of London Art Deco architecture in London Buildings and structures completed in 1937 Archives in the London Borough of Camden Charles Holden buildings Buildings and structures in Bloomsbury Art Deco skyscrapers