No 1 Poultry

No 1 Poultryis a building in theCity of London, allocated to office and commercial use. It occupies the apex where the eastern ends ofPoultryandQueen Victoria Streetmeet atMansion House Street, the western approach toBank junction.
The design, byJames Stirling, was constructed after the architect's death. It replaced theMappin & Webb building, aneogothic, conical-turreted,grade II listedretail building, owned by developerRudolph Palumboand subsequently by his son, developerPeter Palumbo. Another option was a modernist minor skyscraper designed byLudwig Mies van der Rohein the manner of theSeagram Buildingin New York City – but dropped having failed in an influential architectural and planning show-down in the 1970s. The tall but less towering design, in apostmoderniststyle with an outer shell of even bands of rose-pink and muted yellow stone, prevailed. The point of the apex, as before, has a clock face but higher, as above a large pointed apex set of 30 window panes.
In 2016, the landowner proposed exterior alteration. Building users, experts and neighbours persuaded the experts at the designated UK body to protect and recognise the building and did so in the notablegrade II* listed buildingcategory, making it, within England, the youngest at the time.
The present building was completed in 1997, five years after architect Stirling's death and three years after construction began. It is apostmodernstructure, with use of bold, perhaps unsubtle, forms and colours in a compact assembly. It is clad in pink and yellow limestone in even stripes (and apex arch stones, that isvoussoirs) whilst the courtyard, an atrium, displays some of Stirling's characteristic acidulous colour play.
Like many notable postmodern buildings, the imagery is rich in references. For example, from the sharp apex of the site akeyhole-shaped opening leads to a little-seenScala Regiawith a ramped floor, gold-leafed terminus andancient Egyptianaura takes visitors into the heart of the building. Intended as site owner Palumbo's private entrance, this space is now little used: Palumbo sold the development before its completion. The turret above is sometimes likened to a submarineconning towerwhile the glazed thus two-sided clock is in concept and detail that of theArt Deco eraPalazzo delle Poste, Naples.
Completed nearly two decades after the first designs were published, the building saw a range of muted and divided views from leading critics as the heyday of postmodernism was over. Amongst the readers ofTime Outmagazine, it was voted fifth-worst in London.
Following application generally supported by neighbours, users and experts, the building was protected and recognised by law as Grade II*-listed on 29 November 2016.The chief proponent was theTwentieth Century Societyto block a planned redesign of the structure; thus the main opponent was the landowner.
As to the apex facingMansion House, aConservation Area, to rebuild drew much opposition particularly as standing there, in repairable condition, was a 19th-centuryneo-Gothiclisted buildingoccupied by crown jewellersMappin and Webb. It had been designed byJohn Belcherin 1870.
An office building and public plaza byMies van der Rohewas pencilled for the site in 1969, to beMansion House Square. The successful counter-argument was retold byPrince Charlesin his 1984 "carbuncle" speech toRIBA, viewing such a plan as "yet another giant glass stump, better suited to downtown Chicago than the City of London" and the plans were eventually scrapped.
A majorarchaeologicaldig was undertaken by theMuseum of London Archaeology Service, directed by Peter Rowsome. This excavation made significant discoveries, including a wooden drain along the mainRoman road. Usingdendrochronology, this was dated to 47CE, proving RomanLondiniumhad developed in this part of the city by that date.
Construction was completed in 1997. The building took in other smaller buildings to the east.
No 1 Poultry comprises a mixed space of retail and offices.
A restaurant occupies the rooftop, and has a terrace and formal garden with far-reaching City views for drinkers and diners. It featured in theopening ceremonyof the2012 Olympic Gamesin the segment 'Happy and Glorious' which sawDaniel Craig(asJames Bond) escort QueenElizabeth IIto theOlympic Stadiumby helicopter.
The terrace, below which is a fall of around 80 feet, has drawn notoriety in the City for having seen six cases of suicide by jumping off it: in 2007, 2009, twice in 2012,in 2015, and in 2016.
For four years the building was owned by aHeinrich Feldmancompany – selling it toPerella Weinberg Partnersfor £110 million, a 4.8% gain, in 2014.It sold again in 2018 to Hana Alternative Asset Management for £185m.
References
Footnotes
Sources
51°30′48″N0°05′27″W﻿ / ﻿51.51333°N 0.09083°W﻿ /51.51333; -0.09083