Faraday Building (London, UK)
N 51° 30.722 W 000° 05.973
30U E 701255 N 5710756
The depicted monumental Art-Deco Faraday Building, located at Queen Victoria Street, was the GPO's first telephone exchange in London.
Waymark Code: WMM76G
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/03/2014
Views: 3
The depicted monumental Art-Deco Faraday Building, located at Queen Victoria Street, was the GPO's first telephone exchange in London.
Faraday Building started life as the Central telephone exchange at the Savings Bank building in Queen Victoria Street, opening for business on 1 March 1902 with just 200 subscribers. The Faraday Building is erected on the former site of Doctors' Commons, which had been the location of the Admiralty, Probate, and principal Ecclesiastical Court in England. The construction of the Faraday Buildings obscured the riverside view of St Paul's Cathedral and directly led to the legislation protecting the views of St Paul's that has been used to thwart large buildings being erected around the various vantage points to see the cathedral. The City of London School and another telephone exchange, Baynard House were built between the riverside and Faraday House but are restricted in height to just three levels above ground. During the second world war, the Faraday Building was transformed into a redoubt where the Cabinet could retreat if the need arose and the Prime Minister run the war in greater security than Downing Street could provide. [wiki]