Looking at Buildings

, printed from the Looking at Buildings website on Friday 29th March 2024

General Post Office

PostGlossary Term [1] Office was located in the Custom House in Canning Place, until this specially designed building was constructed in Victoria Street between 1894 and 1899. The architect was Henry Tanner, a Principal Architect (Chief Architect from 1898) in the Office of Works, whose other postal buildings include the contemporary General PostGlossary Term [2] Office in Leeds. The Victoria Street building was exceptionally ambitious, originally resembling a Loire chateau with an eventful skyline of shaped gables, chimneys and pavilionGlossary Term [3] roofs. The decoration included sculpture by Edward O. Griffith around the main entrance. Unfortunately, the upper floors were removed following bomb damage in the Second World War, and the interior was gutted after the PostGlossary Term [4] Office moved to new accommodation in the late 20th century. The surviving shellGlossary Term [5] is being converted into a shopping centre.

Last updated: Monday, 26th January 2009