Millbank Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Millbank Tower |
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Millbank Tower
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| Record height | |
| Tallest in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1964 | |
| Preceded by | CIS Tower |
| Surpassed by | BT Tower |
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Westminster London, SW1 United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°29′32.0″N 0°07′33.5″W / 51.492222°N 0.125972°W |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Owner | David and Simon Reuben |
| Height | |
| Roof | 118 metres (387 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Lifts/elevators | 11: 4 × low rise Otis 411 Elevonics 5 × high rise Otis 411 Elevonics 1 × Otis 411 fire/goods all floors 1 × Otis 10UCL Ground to Basement Goods |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ronald Ward & Partners |
| Main contractor | John Mowlem & Co. |
The Millbank Tower is a tall building, about 118 meters (387 feet) high. It is a skyscraper located in London, right by the River Thames. This famous tower was built in 1963. Over the years, it has been home to many important groups. These include political parties like the Labour and Conservative parties, and even the United Nations.
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History of Millbank Tower
The Millbank Tower was finished in 1963. It was first built for a company called Vickers, so people sometimes called it Vickers House or Vickers Tower. Ronald Ward and Partners designed the building. John Mowlem & Co. built it.
The tower is a well-known sight in London. It stands next to the River Thames, not far from the Palace of Westminster. Since 2002, the tower has been owned by David and Simon Reuben. It is also a Grade II listed building. This means it is a special building protected for its history and architecture.
For a short time, the Millbank Tower was the tallest building in the United Kingdom. This was from 1963 until the BT Tower was finished in 1964.
In 2003, a famous architecture guide said that Millbank Tower was "one of the few London office towers to have won affection." This means people really liked its design.
Student Protests at Millbank
In 2010, thousands of students gathered around the building. They were protesting against the government's plan to increase university tuition fees. At that time, the building housed the main office for the Conservative Party's campaigns. The protest at Millbank helped start many other student protests that year.
Who Uses Millbank Tower?
Over the years, many important groups and businesses have had offices in Millbank Tower.
Political Parties and Organizations
From 1994 to 2002, the Labour Party used two floors in the tower. They used it as their main office for election campaigns. They ran their 1997 General Election campaign from here. However, the rent was very high, about £1 million each year. So, the Labour Party moved out after five years.
The United Nations also had offices in the tower. But they moved out in 2003, also because the rent was too high.
Between 2006 and 2014, the Conservative Party also had its main campaign office in the same building complex.
Other Important Groups
Many other public groups have offices in the tower. These include:
- The Central Statistical Office, which later became the Office for National Statistics.
- The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
- The Local Government Ombudsman.
- The UK India Business Council.
- The Ministry of Justice Records Management Service.
Many different companies and organizations also have offices in the tower. Some of these are:
- The Environment Agency
- The World Bank
- Altitude 360 London (an event space)
- World First (a company that deals with foreign money)
- The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
- Canonical (company) (a software company)
- The Audit Commission
- The London office of the Open Society Foundations
- The Local Government Boundary Commission for England
- XLN Telecom
- Leave.EU (a political campaign group)
The building also has studios for a TV channel called RT UK. Since April 2018, the main office for the People's Vote campaign has been in the tower.
The Future of Millbank Tower
In 2016, the owners, the Reuben brothers, got permission to change the building. They plan to turn it into a hotel and fancy apartments. This is a big change for a building that is protected for its history.
Gallery
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The base of Millbank Tower
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Millbank Tower seen from Vauxhall, with Thames House and the Palace of Westminster in the background
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A view of Millbank Tower from Vauxhall Bridge
Images for kids
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Millbank Tower seen from Millbank street
