ENGLISH Heritage has chosen fourteen of the finest post-war office buildings in England to receive Listed Building status.

The selected offices span the length and breadth of England and were listed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport after being recommended by English Heritage.

Heritage Minister, Ed Vaizey, said: “Listed buildings are not just about historic houses and ancient monuments, they also serve to protect our recent heritage and preserve the best examples of our fantastic architecture. This group of listings reflect the changing face of our working environment and represent the very best in design and it’s entirely right that they be listed Grade II.”

Roger Bowdler, Director of Designation at English Heritage, said: “The clearer we can be about what deserves to be listed, the better for all. These offices show how architecture has adapted to recent radical changes in how we work: they show how the open-plan working space for computer-led work came about, and how architects responded to the need for lettable, attractive spaces with ingenuity and a deep understanding of human needs. Our project has aimed to deliver certainty for owners, while adding to the range of those key buildings which are protected by law. These are all remarkable designs, capable of years of commercially vibrant use. The project has been notable for its extensive research, and for close dialogue with owners.”

Newly listed office buildings

• Brown Shipley, Moorgate, City of London, Fitzroy Robinson & Partners, 1973-5
• 30 Cannon Street (formerly Credit Lyonnais), London, Whinney, Son & Austen Hall, 1974-7
• 1 Finsbury Avenue, City of London, Arup Associates’ Group 2 led by Peter Foggo, 1982-4
• Civil Aviation Authority House, (formerly Space House), Kingsway, Camden London, George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners, 1964-8
• Mountbatten House (formerly Gateway House), Basingstoke, Arup Associates’ Group 2 led by Peter Foggo, 1974-76. The roof gardens at Mountbatten House have also been added to the Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade II
  IBM Pilot Head Office, Cosham, Foster Associates, 1970-71
• Gun Wharf (built as administrative headquarters for Lloyds of London, now civic headquarters for Medway Council), Chatham, Kent, Arup Associates, 1976-8
  Former office of Ryder and Yates, Killingworth, Newcastle, Ryder and Yates, 1964-5
• MEA House, Newcastle upon Tyne, Ryder and Yates, 1972-4
• Bank House, King Street, Leeds, Building Design Partnership, 1969-71
• Former Midland Bank, Dale Street, Liverpool, Raymond Fletcher of Bradshaw, Rowse & Harker, 1971
• St James’s House, Frederick Street, Birmingham, John Madin, 1954-7
• Alpha Tower, Birmingham, George Marsh of Richard Seifert & Partners, 1970-2
• Former Central Electricity Generating Board Building (The Pavilions), Bristol, Arup Associates, 1975-8