Prudential Assurance Building

Details

CAMDEN

TQ3181NW HOLBORN BARS
798-1/102/888 (North side)
03/03/72 No.142
Prudential Assurance Building
(Formerly Listed as:
GREVILLE STREET
Prudential Assurance Building)
(Formerly Listed as:
CITY OF LONDON
HOLBORN
(North side)
No.142
Prudential Assurance Company Offices)

GV II*

Office block. 1885-1901 in several phases, by Alfred
Waterhouse assisted by his son Paul and with additions of
1930-32 by EM Joseph not entirely replaced by rebuilding of
1989-93 and which include 1878-9 fragments. Polished granite,
red brick, red terracotta and much use of fine ironwork, with
roof in most areas of slate laid in diminishing courses. The
1930s work with internal steel frame, but the building is made
coherent despite the many phases by the use of similar
materials of a very restricted colour range.
STYLE: boldly detailed and picturesque Gothic Revival style.
PLAN: complex plan, dominated by front range of 1897-1901, the
Furnival's Inn building campaign. To left or west of this
range is the steel-framed range of 1930-32 by EM Joseph in
matching style, on the site of the first Prudential
development on the site of 1879-83 and now truncated; however
the late C20 work along Brooke Street incorporates within it a
three-window range of 1885-8 by Waterhouse. East of the
Furnival's Inn block and returning along Leather Lane is the
so-called Ridler's Hotel block, of 1897-1901. North of this
are the Wood's Hotel range of 1895-6 and Greville Street/
Leather Lane block of 1895. Large internal courtyard now known
as Waterhouse Square, with smaller courtyard to south.
EXTERIOR: Holborn Bars elevation (part of Furnival's Inn
building campaign) has carriageway arch flanked by pedestrian
arched walkways in range that terminates in tower with hipped
roof and fleche. Three window ranges to either side, the
centre of which is topped by a gabled dormer; terminating
these ranges are full-height rectangular bays finishing in
facing gables, three-window segmental bay to each. To the left
or west the 1930-32 range is seven storeys in the main, but
the ranges to Holborn Bars continue the facade height of the
Furnival's Inn building. Joseph's work has four-window range
contiguous with Waterhouse's and terminating, at the corner
with Brooke Street, in a rectangular bay. There is a short
return along the west of two-window ranges before the building
steps up to a full seven-storey high wing of three windows.
Joseph's range further north along Brooke Street has been
replaced by recent construction. Embedded in this late C20
work is a three-window range of 1885-8 with four-window return
to north; on the corner is a polygonal turret finishing in a
high hipped roof.
To the east of the Furnival's Inn block and returning along
Leather Lane the Ridler's Hotel parcel has a five-window range
continuing from the Furnival's Inn range and terminating in a
rectangular corner wing or block. The return continues the
design of the main block before setting back along the long
Leather Lane elevation, which has a basement area enclosed by
railings of an authentic design. This build of 1897-1901
continues to just north of the angled bay which terminates in
a turret with a conical roof; although the material is similar
to that found on the main Holborn Bars elevation the detailing
is considerably simplified.
East of the angled bay / tower is two-storey, flat-roofed
block of two-window range; behind this are ranges of the
Furnival's Inn campaign once again, here exactly matching the
design of the Ridler's Hotel block. To the north of the bay
which contains a pedestrian way to the north courtyard is the
Wood's Hotel block, which has a four-window range. North of
this point, marked by a hefty half-round, attached shaft, the
elevation cambers westwards for nine windows. This is the
Greville Street and Leather Lane block, and it terminates near
the corner in two facing gables; there is a short return
westwards along the former line of Greville Street. The design
of the elevation to this north-east block are the simplest in
the whole complex but still match the colour of the other
elevations.
The north courtyard is now named in honour of Waterhouse. Its
north range is four windows wide flanked by gable facing
pavilions and it is part of the Wood's Hotel block. The
northernmost bays of the east and west ranges of this
courtyard are also part of this campaign. The southern parts
of these ranges and that along the south are part of the
Furnival's Inn campaign, as is the narrow carriageway to the
south entrance courtyard. The 1914-18 War Memorial is now
relocated to the north-east corner of Waterhouse Square.
Bronze memorial plaques are nearby, flanking the entrance from
Waterhouse Square to Leather Lane. These latter commemorate
the 1939-45 war.
INTERIOR: significant interiors include the public office on
the ground floor of Furnival's Inn block and the Director's
Staircase. Both are sheafed in faience. The Library is the
only room to survive with most of its original fittings,
including lights. Other interiors of special interest in the
Furnival's Inn block include: on the first floor the suite of
manager's offices retains mahogany panelling in one of the
tower rooms and all the rooms to the east. A number of rooms
on the second floor have good panelling, plaster ceilings and
fireplaces. The faience in the Cashier's Office is
particularly noteworthy. Panelling from the 1878-9 Board Room
was used in the Director's Rest Room.
The frontage to Holborn was formerly listed in the City of
London on 03/03/72; the frontage to Greville Street listed in
the LB of Camden on 14/05/74. Both parts were included in the
LB of Camden following boundary changes on 1 April 1994.
(Cunningham C and Waterhouse P: Alfred Waterhouse, 1830-1905,
Biography of a Practice: Oxford: -1992).

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 9 February 2017.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

478430

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 9 February 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/2097
War Memorials Online, accessed 9 February 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/120468

Other
Cunningham, C, Alfred Waterhouse 1830-1905 A Biography of a Practice, (1992)

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