Oxo Tower facts for kids
The Oxo Tower is a well-known building with a tall tower on the south side of the River Thames in London. It's a busy place with many different uses. You can find cool design, arts, and crafts shops on the first two floors. There are also two art galleries, called Bargehouse and gallery@oxo.
If you go up to the eighth floor, which is the very top, you'll find the Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar, and Brasserie. It's a great spot for both fancy and casual meals with amazing views! There's also a special viewing area on the eighth floor that anyone can visit. The floors from the third to the seventh have 78 apartments. Plus, a big part of the second floor can be rented for events like weddings.
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Where is the Oxo Tower?
The Oxo Tower Wharf is located in the eastern part of London's South Bank. This area is famous for its cultural attractions. A walking path runs right in front of the building, connecting it to other popular places. These include the Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre, the Tate Modern art museum, and Shakespeare's Globe theatre.
The building is next to Bernie Spain Gardens and Gabriel's Wharf on one side. On the other side is Sea Containers House. The tower itself can only be seen from a few spots. These include the Observation Point, the riverside walkway, the green area behind the tower, and the two piers in front of it.
The Tower's Story
The Oxo Tower building has a long and interesting history. It was first built in the late 1800s as a power station. Its job was to provide electricity to the Royal Mail post office.
Later, in the 1920s, a company called Liebig Extract of Meat bought the building. This company made Oxo beef stock cubes. They wanted to turn the building into a large cold storage facility.
How the Tower Got Its Name
Between 1928 and 1929, the building was mostly rebuilt. An architect named Albert Moore designed it in the popular Art Deco style of the time. Most of the old power station was taken down. However, the part facing the river was kept and made bigger.
The Liebig company wanted to put big, lit-up signs on the tower to advertise their "Oxo" product. But, at that time, advertising signs on the skyline along the South Bank were not allowed. So, their request was turned down.
To get around this rule, the architect came up with a clever idea. He designed the tower with four sets of three windows. Each set of windows was shaped like a circle, a cross, and another circle. If you look closely, these shapes "coincidentally" spell out O-X-O! This way, they could advertise without actually using words.
Even though these windows are a key part of the tower's design, the public cannot go inside the tower itself. It's only for people doing maintenance work.
Saving the Oxo Tower
After some time, the building was left empty and started to fall apart. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were plans to tear it down. People wanted to build new things on its site. But local people strongly disagreed with these plans. They fought hard to save the building.
Thanks to their efforts and the support of the Greater London Council, the tower and the land around it were saved. In the 1990s, the tower was renovated. It was redesigned to include homes, a restaurant, shops, and exhibition spaces.
The refurbished tower won several awards for its design and for helping to improve the area. These include the Royal Fine Art Commission/BSkyB Building of the Year Award in 1997 and the RIBA Award for Architecture in the same year. Even with its awards and history, the Oxo Tower is not yet a "listed building." This means it doesn't have special protection from changes or demolition.
Coin Street Community Builders
Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) is a special group that works to improve London's South Bank. They are a "social enterprise," which means they use business ideas to help the community.
CSCB has transformed the 13 acres of land around the Oxo Tower. They have created co-operative homes, shops, art galleries, restaurants, and cafes. They also built a park and the riverside walkway. They even provide sports facilities and organize fun festivals and events. On top of that, they offer childcare, family support, and learning programs. They earn money by renting out spaces for shops, restaurants, events, and meetings.
The Bargehouse
The Bargehouse is one of the exhibition spaces at the Oxo Tower Wharf. It often hosts art shows and events.
Gallery@oxo
The gallery located at the bottom of the Oxo Tower Wharf is known for its interesting exhibitions. These often feature photography, modern design, architecture, and shows about important social issues.
Restaurant
The Oxo Tower is also famous for being the home of Harvey Nichols' very first restaurant. The tower's popular Restaurant, Bar, and Brasserie first opened its doors in September 1996.
See also
- Tall buildings in London
