Nestlé Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's House, Croydon |
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St George's House, Croydon
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| Alternative names | Nestlé Tower |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Croydon, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Completed | 1964 |
| Client | Nestlé S.A. (to 2012) |
| Owner | Minerva |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 24 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Ronald Ward and Partners |
St George's House is a tall office building in Croydon, UK. It stands about 79 meters (259 feet) high. People sometimes call it the Nestlé Tower. This is because the big food company Nestlé used to have its main UK office here. Nestlé moved out in September 2012.
Contents
Where is St George's House?
This tower is located on Park Lane. It is right above the Croydon Underpass. You can find it near other important buildings. These include the Croydon Council offices and Croydon College. The Fairfield Halls theatre is also very close by.
The Story of St George's House
Building the Tower
The building was designed by architects Ronald Ward and Partners. They also designed another famous building, Millbank Tower. St George's House was finished in 1964. It has 24 floors.
Music and Shopping
At the bottom of the tower, there was an entrance to the St George's Walk shopping area. The ground floor also had a famous pub called the Greyhound. This pub was well-known for being a great music venue. Later, it became a nightclub called the Blue Orchid. It closed down in 2004.
Nestlé Moves Out
In January 2012, Nestlé announced big news. They decided to move their UK headquarters. All 840 employees moved to City Place Gatwick. By the end of 2012, Nestlé had completely left St George's House.
Changing from Offices to Homes
After Nestlé left, the Croydon council made a plan. In February 2013, they agreed to change the building's use. It would go from offices to homes. An architect firm called EPR Architects was hired to redesign it.
However, the housing project did not start right away. In September 2015, a property company named Minerva bought the tower. They paid £10 million for it. Minerva wanted to include the tower in a larger housing project for the area.
New Homes and a Public Square
Work finally began in November 2018. The tower is being changed into three tall apartment blocks. Part of St George's Walk is also being taken down. This will create a new public space. It will be called Queen's Square. This new square will be next to the old Town Hall.
Getting Around: Transport Links
St George's House has many ways to get there.
- Trams: The George Street tram stop is the closest tram station. From here, you can take trams to Wimbledon station. At Wimbledon, you can connect to the London Underground. Trams also go to Beckenham Junction station and Elmers End station. These stations offer train connections.
- Buses: There is a bus station at West Croydon. Buses from here go all over the borough.
- Trains: East Croydon station is also very close. It is the main train station in the area. You can catch trains from Southern and Thameslink here. These trains go to places like Brighton and the South Coast. They also go to Bedford, Luton Airport, and Gatwick Airport. Fast trains can take you to Victoria and London Bridge in Central London.
