Leadenhall Street
Leadenhall Street (/ˈlɛdənˌhɔːl/) is a street in the City of London. It is about 1⁄3-mile-long (0.54 km) and links Cornhill in the west to Aldgate in the east. It was formerly the start of the A11 road from London to Norwich, but that route now starts further east at Aldgate.
Leadenhall Street has always been a centre of commerce. It connected the medieval market of Leaden Hall with Aldgate, the eastern gate in the Roman city wall. The
History
Although Leadenhall Street is within the walls of Roman Londinium, and a map published in 1897 showed it as a Roman street,[3] this remains speculative. The basilica, the largest building in Londinium, extended beneath the western end of Leadenhall Street.[4] Roman remains have also been found on both sides of Leadenhall Street, beneath East India House (now No 12) and the P&O Building (now St Helen’s Square).[5]
The street probably originated in the
The name “Ledenhall Street” first appears on a map from 1658.[8] In the Great Fire of London in 1666, the north-eastern edge of the damaged area reached Leadenhall Market, leaving Leadenhall Street itself intact.[9]
From 1729 to 1861 the largest building in the street was
In the
Bomb damage during World War II mainly affected the south side of Leadenhall Street to the east of Lime Street (No 26 to 49).[11] Early post-war reconstruction matched the height of existing buildings, while introducing modern styles such as the former Scandinavian Bank (No 36) and the former Bank of Credit and Commerce International (No 100). In the late 1980s, the former Midland Bank (No 69) and the former Swiss Re House (No 77) introduced the post-modern style.
Today Leadenhall Street is closely associated with the insurance industry and particularly the
Tall buildings on Leadenhall Street are constrained by the protected view of St Paul's Cathedral from Fleet Street.[12] To avoiding impinging on this view, the 48-storey Leadenhall Building (No 122) adopted a distinctive sloping profile, known as “The Cheesegrater”, while “The Scalpel”, a 38-storey building across the street (52 Lime Street), slopes in the opposite direction. Other buildings being developed, including the 57-storey "Diamond" (No 100) and the 50-storey “Prussian Blue” on the corner with Bishopsgate, will fill in the gaps in this cluster of buildings.
Buildings
South side
Starts at: Gracechurch Street
One Leadenhall – a 36-storey office building, including a 5-storey base with a grid of pre-cast concrete and glass panels, and a recessed glass tower above, designed by Make Architects.[13] Construction started in 2021. The site was part of the Roman basilica in the 2nd century, and was occupied by the original Leaden Hall, first recorded in 1309.[14]
Side street: Whittington Avenue leading to Leadenhall Market.
7-10 Leadenhall Street – a 6-storey office building, built in 1924–27.[1] It was the head office of Friends Provident during 1929–57.[15] It was occupied by the Iraqi Rafidain Bank until it went into liquidation in 2008.[16] The building was acquired shortly after by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, initially used as a Commercial Attaché to its main embassy in Kensington. The Ministry still retains the freehold interest in the property, although the building has been vacant for a number of years. The building was briefly taken over by the Occupy London movement in January 2012.[17]
11 Leadenhall Street - a 6-storey 3-bay office building, built in 1912 for the Bank of Adelaide.[1] It was later occupied by the National Westminster Bank.
12 Leadenhall Street - a stone arch is all that remains of the former Lloyd’s Building, which was built in 1928 and demolished in 1979. The arch was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper in 1922 as a war memorial for the Lloyd’s Rooms at the Royal Exchange, and moved to Leadenhall Street in 1928. From 1729 to 1861 this site was occupied by East India House.[18]
Side street: Lime Street
The Scalpel, 52 Lime Street - a 38-storey office building designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and built in 2013-18 as the European headquarters of the insurance company W R Berkley. The building consists of a series of triangular planes of partially reflective glass with bright metallic fold lines.[19]
36-38 Leadenhall Street - a 9-storey office building designed by Yorke, Rosenberg & Mardall and built in 1970-73 for the Scandinavian Bank. It was built in a Chicago-derived flush-fronted style, with uniform floors and piers of polished yellow-brown stone, flush smoked-glass bands, and sharp mitred glass joints on the Billiter Street corner.[1]
Side street: Billiter Street
40 Leadenhall Street - a 34-storey office and retail development, designed by Make Architects and built in 2020-23. The site between Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street, surrounding the Grade II listed 19-21 Billiter Street, comprises a series of vertical slices from 14 to 34 storeys, nicknamed “Gotham City”.[20] The north façade has floor to ceiling glazing with flush back-painted glass panels across the floor slabs, creating a smooth wall of glass, within a perimeter metal frame.[21] The site was previously occupied by the Institute of London Underwriters.
50 Leadenhall Street - a 3-bay, 5-storey office building. From 1868 to 1905 it was the home of the Leadenhall Press.
Hallmark Building, 52-56 Leadenhall Street - a 12-bay, 7-storey office building in the Beaux-Arts style designed by M.E. Collins & L.S. Sullivan and built in 1919–21.[1] It was previously known as Furness House, and occupied by the London Metal Exchange. The site was occupied by the Tylers’ and Bricklayers’ Hall from 1538 to 1833.[22]
65 Leadenhall Street - a 5-bay, 7-storey office building designed by A.H. Kersey and Richardson & Gill and built in 1922 in yellow sandstone.[1]
Landmark House, 69 Leadenhall Street and 94-95 Fenchurch Street - a 7-storey office building in the post-modern style designed by Terry Farrell Partnership and built in 1986-87 for the Midland Bank.[1] The corner location is emphasised by a drum entrance and a glazed turret above containing a boardroom. The side elevations are in coloured granite with alternating layers on the lower floors.
In front of Landmark House is the Aldgate Pump, a Grade-II listed 18th Century water pump.[23]
Ends at: Fenchurch Street
North side
Starts at: Mitre Street
77 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building in the
78 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building in the post-modern style designed by Ley, Colbeck & Partners and built in 1989–91.[1]
80 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building designed by Hamilton Associates and built in 1988–90.[1]
Side street: Creechurch Lane
88 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building designed by
100 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building designed by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners and built in 1971–75.[1] It was the UK headquarters of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, which was liquidated in 1991 after widespread fraud and money laundering. The building was reclad in glass and stone in 2002 as part of a refurbishment programme designed by Rolfe Judd Architects. It will be redeveloped as a 57-storey building designed by SOM. It will have an angled façade with diamond pattern glazing,[28] and has been nicknamed “The Diamond”.
106 Leadenhall Street - a 6-storey office building in the
Bankside House, 107 Leadenhall Street - a 7-storey office building built in 1931 by Bankside Investment Trust.[28] It is built in Portland stone with deeply modelled classical features, in two sections stepping down towards St Andrew Undershaft church.[29] It will be demolished as part of the 100 Leadenhall Street redevelopment.
Lloyd’s Bank, 113-116 Leadenhall Street - a 5-storey Victorian bank designed by E. B. Ellis and built in 1891.[1]
Side street: St Mary Axe
St Helen’s Square - a public space at the junction of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe, between the Leadenhall Building and
Leadenhall Building,
139-144 Leadenhall Street - a 7-bay 5-storey bank with an elevation by
St Andrews House, 145-146 Leadenhall Street - a 3-bay 5-storey bank designed by William Nimmo & Partners, built in 1989–92.[1] It copies proportions and details from No 139-144 next door.
Grace Hall, 147-148 Leadenhall Street - a 3-bay 4-storey bank building designed by J W O’Connor and built in 1926-27 for the New York bank Grace & Co. It is now a Grade II listed private events venue.[33] It is built in Portland stone, with a pedimented entrance to the banking hall, and an arch that extends into the mezzanine floor. Above are 3 floors with recessed sash windows with original wood frames and glazing bars.[34]
6-8 Bishopsgate - this site, which includes the former 150 Leadenhall Street, will be a 50-storey mixed-use tower designed by WilkinsonEyre, originally known as “Prussian Blue”. The design comprises a series of stacked blocks, differentiated by variations in glazing and aluminium fins, and by cantilevering the upper block. The corner building will be an 11-storey stone-clad block with deeply recessed openings.[35]
Ends at: Bishopsgate
Cultural references
The Leadenhall Street Mosaic is a
One of the first telephone exchanges in London was installed at 101 Leadenhall Street in 1879.[37]
The Leadenhall Building (No. 122) is used as the venue for the BBC's The Apprentice interviews.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Bradley, Simon; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). The Buildings of England, London 1: The City of London. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 529–532.
- ^ "City Corporation releases new images of future skyline". City of London. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "Plan Of Roman London - Post AD190". Mapco. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Roman Londinium - Interactive Map". HeritageDaily. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Inventory of Roman London: Structures within the walls". British History Online. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Medieval London, 1270 - 1300". Layers of London. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "Heritage". Leadenhall Market. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "W. Faithorne and R. Newcourt Map (1658)". Layers of London. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "The Great Fire of London" (PDF). City of London. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "John Tallis's London Street Views". CG Publishing. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Bomb Damage (1945)". Layers of London. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Protected views and tall buildings". City of London. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "Leadenhall Court 1 Leadenhall Street London EC3V 1AB". Planning Application Documents. City of London. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Thornbury, Walter. "Leadenhall Street and the Old East India House". British History Online. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "Friends Provident Life Office". Our History. Aviva. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- ^ "7-10 Leadenhall Street". Buildington. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "The Story of Occupy London's Short-Lived Iraq Bank of Ideas". The Multicultural Politic. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "East India Company headquarters on Leadenhall Street". Asian and African studies blog. British Library. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "52 Lime Street". KPF. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Steed, Leila. "'Gotham City' to be built in London". Construction Europe. KHL. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ 40 Leadenhall Street Design and Access Statement. Make Architects and David Bonnett Associates. 2013.
- ^ "Tylers' and Bricklayers' Hall". Plaques of London. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Pump at Junction with Leadenhall Street and Fenchurch Street". Historic England. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Inwood, Stephen (2008). Historic London: An Explorer's Companion. Pan Macmillan.
- ^ "Church of St Katherine Cree". Historic England. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Leadenhall Doors Open". Architects Journal. 7 October 1999. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "88 Leadenhall Street". Newton Perkins. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ a b c Dunton, Jim (16 March 2018). "SOM lodges plans for 'Cheesegrater 2' tower". bdonline. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "100, 106 & 107 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 3BP" (PDF). City of London. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "St Helen's Square". Gillespies. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "The Old Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company". Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "139-144, Leadenhall Street, EC3". Historic England. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Our history". Grace Hall London. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "147 and 148, Leadenhall Street". Historic England. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "6-8 Bishopsgate And 150 Leadenhall Street London EC3V 4QT" (PDF). City of London. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "mosaic pavement". British Museum. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ^ "UK telephone history". Retrieved 2 August 2020.
External links
- Media related to Leadenhall Street at Wikimedia Commons