London’s first skyscraper turns 75 as The Shard nears completion

When it opened 75 years ago, the 209-feet Senate House at the University of London was the tallest secular building in London. In 2011, as London prepares for the completion of the 1,017 ft Shard at London Bridge, the city’s first skyscraper is cementing its landmark status with the completion of a multi-million-pound refurbishment.

Senate House, its central tower rising over 200 feet above the Georgian squares of Bloomsbury, was London’s first skyscraper and considered so tall that the London County Council wouldn’t let it go any higher for health and safety reasons. While The Shard, five times the size of Senate House, took its inspiration from the past – London’s church spires and sailing masts – Senate House was very much of the moment, being designed according to the rhythms of jazz music.

The 87 storeys of The Shard, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, will boast a series of upper-crust restaurants, offices, and a five-star Shangri-La hotel. However, the University can lay claim to its own ‘shangri-la’. Senate House is home to one of the largest humanities libraries in the world, Senate House Library. And after a recent multi-million pound refurbishment, the library, which contains over three million volumes, can provide its thousands of visitors with as warm a welcome as the luxury hotel chain.

Senate House was the first large-scale building in the UK to be heated by electricity, using slabs of Travertine marble as an early form of storage heater, and it even boasted one of the very first air conditioning systems. With an eye to the future, the architect Charles Holden, who was responsible for many of London’s Underground stations, ensured that the interior floor plans were capable, as he put it of, ‘infinite variety of subdivision by means of light partitions.’

This London landmark was certainly built to last, so while taller buildings – including The Shard’s predecessor Southwark Towers – have come and gone, it was designed with a lifespan of 500 years. It was also finished in the finest materials then available, including Portland stone, marble, English walnut and South American cypress.

Senate House has also secured its place in literary and movie legend. The building was taken over by the Ministry of Information during World War II and George Orwell, who worked there, used it as the inspiration for the ‘Ministry of Truth’ in his novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. It has also played a starring role in films from Batman to, appropriately, Nineteen Eighty-Four and its peerless rooms can be hired for everything from gala dinners to corporate meetings.

Senate House was the first permanent home for the University of London, which itself turns 175 this year. As part of the celebrations, a public exhibition will open in Senate House Library on 5 September to showcase the fascinating history of the UK’s largest University.

Today the building houses the unique resources of Senate House Library, one of the world’s largest humanities collections, and the University’s central staff, who provide efficient and cost-effective services to the 19 Colleges and beyond. These services range from world-class libraries and facilitation of research in the humanities and social sciences to careers services and accommodation.

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For further information contact:
Andy Williamson
Head of Communications
University of London
Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8020; Email: andy.williamson@london.ac.uk

Notes for editors:
Senate House is the University of London’s administrative centre, and is also home to one of the largest humanities libraries in the world, Senate House Library. Charles Holden, also known for his work on the London Underground, designed the 1930s art deco building, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

After 100 years of occupying five different central London locations, the University of London finally settled in Senate House in 1936. The iconic building has recently completed a multi-million pound restoration project.

The University of London is a federal University and is one of the oldest, largest and most diverse universities in the UK. Established by Royal Charter in 1836, the University is recognised globally as a world leader in Higher Education.

It consists of 19 self-governing Colleges of outstanding reputation, together with a range of prestigious central academic bodies and activities.

175th anniversary exhibition is part of a series of events to mark the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the University by Royal Charter on 28 November 1836.

It is open to the public on the fourth floor of Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. See Senate House Library opening times .