With an abundance of beloved buildings scattered across the city; London certainly isn’t thin on the ground when it comes to iconic architecture. But very few of the capital’s structures come quite as illustrious as the Bank of England. Having been perched proudly on Threadneedle Street for the best part of 200 years, the Grade I listed building has certainly paid it’s dues. And it’s about to be the worthy recipient of a rather gargantuan glow-up.
The Bank of England refurbishment
The building was first designed by Sir John Soane back in the 1830s, but has undergone a few major makeovers over the years. It was demolished and rebuilt in the 1930s, and then given its most recent refurbishment in the 1990s. But now it’s time for the structure’s next nip and tuck, and work is set to begin next year.
The architectural aficionados over at Purcell Architecture will be heading up the work, having beaten out competition to secure the deal. You may recognise the name as they’re the brains behind the Elizabeth Tower and the National Portrait Gallery’s recent renovations. The work supposedly won’t be wildly noticeable to the general public, as the majority of the makeover will focus on renewing and future-proofing the infrastructure.
The project is set to be ‘an incredibly complex’ one, and the plans involve replacing the heating and ventilation systems and reimagining the interior layout, with work expected to be complete in 2029. The ‘historically significant building’ serves as the headquarters for the Bank of England and is currently home to around 400,000 bars of gold (worth over £200,000 billion). So yes, it’s pretty important, I suppose…
