Empress State Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Empress State Building |
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The Empress State Building as seen from outside West Brompton station, with the former Earls Court Two in the foreground.
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| General information | |
| Location | West Brompton, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°29′14.9″N 00°11′59.1″W / 51.487472°N 0.199750°W |
| Construction started | November 1959 |
| Completed | July 1961 |
| Owner | Metropolitan Police |
The Empress State Building is a tall building located in West Brompton, London. It's right on the edge of an area called Earl's Court.
Building History
This building gets its name from the Empress Hall, which used to be here. It also honors the famous Empire State Building in New York. The Empress State Building was finished in 1962. It was built for the Admiralty, which was part of the UK government.
The building was originally 100 meters (328 feet) tall and had 28 floors. It was designed by Stone, Toms & Partners. For a short time, it was the tallest commercial building in London. However, the Millbank Tower, built in the same year, soon became taller.
In 2003, the building was updated by Wilkinson Eyre Architects. They added three more floors and made it 17.3 meters (57 feet) taller. A new section called 'Orbit' was also added to the front. This building was first planned as a hotel. However, it was used by the Admiralty and GCHQ, a government intelligence agency.
Metropolitan Police Use
Today, the building is used by the Metropolitan Police Service, London's main police force. They often call it ESB. Until 2020, this building was where people went to be tested if they wanted to become police officers. Some floors were also used by Transport for London until 2010. The Metropolitan Police Heritage Centre, which showed the history of the police, was located here until January 2020.
In March 2018, the London mayor's office decided to buy the Empress State Building. They bought it for £250 million to create a new Counter Terrorism Operations Centre. This center helps fight against terrorism. Funding for this important project was confirmed in November 2020. Since December 23, 2024, the building has been officially named a Prohibited Place. This means it's a very secure site under The National Security Act 2023. It is expected to fully open for its new role by late 2025.
On October 15, 2019, the building received a special certificate. This certificate protected it from being listed as a historic building. This protection lasted until October 14, 2024.
See Also
- Tall buildings in London
