54 Broadway
54 Broadway sometimes known as Broadway buildings is an office building in Broadway, London.
| 54 Broadway | |
|---|---|
 54 Broadway (on the right) | |
| |
| General information | |
| Location | Westminster, London |
| Coordinates | 51.49989°N 0.13347°W |
| Completed | 1924 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 9 |
History
The building, which has a prominent mansard roof, was completed around 1924, when it became the main operating base for the Secret Intelligence Service.[1][lower-alpha 1] During the Second World War it had a brass plaque identifying it as the offices of the "Minimax Fire Extinguisher Company".[1] Sir Stewart Menzies, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, had access to a tunnel, which connected 54 Broadway to his private residence in Queen Anne's Gate.[2] Kim Philby, who worked in the building during the war, described it as
a dingy building, a warren of wooden partitions and frosted glass windows...served by an ancient lift.[3]
The building has been used as overflow facility by London Underground, based at 55 Broadway, since the Secret Intelligence Service moved out to Century House in 1964.[4]
Explanatory notes
- SIS had previously been based at 2 Whitehall Court.
Citations
- Berkeley, Roy (1994). A Spy's London. London: Leo Cooper. pp. 7–8. ISBN 9781473827202. OCLC 973676356.
- Judd, Alan (24 September 2000). "One in the Eye for the Vauxhall Trollop". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- Philby, Kim (2003) [1968]. My Silent War. London: Modern Library. p. 64. ISBN 9780375759833. OCLC 892590995.
- "Top Secret: A Century of British Espionage". The Independent. London. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
General sources
- Berkeley, Roy (1994). A Spy's London. London: Leo Cooper. ISBN 9781473827202. OCLC 973676356.