Centre Point

Architect: George Marsh sand Richard Seifert
Date Completed: 1966
Client: Harry Hyams (Property developer)
Listed Status: Grade II

This 34-story iconic Brutalist skyscraper (also encompassing the modernist label) is a towering landmark in the West End and one of London’s first skyscrapers. In the aftermath of World War II, the city faced a housing crisis and also a pressing need for commercial space therefore this was built as an office block for property developer Harry Hyams and finished in 1966. Throughout its history, Centre Point has been associated with controversy. In the 1970s, it gained notoriety as a symbol of urban decay, standing largely vacant for several years despite its prime location in the West End while Hyams was waiting for the right tenants and higher rents.

The in-perpetuity ground rent for the site is a mere £18,500 per year which enabled the very rich Hyams to wait for his asked for £1million plus rent. Its chequered history began on completion when it was accused of disrupting the city skyline.

The homeless charity ‘Centrepoint’ was founded in 1969 as a homeless shelter in nearby Soho. It adopted the Centrepoint name in response to such a building remaining empty while people needed a place to live. It was seen as seen as an "affront to the homeless" for being left empty to make money for the property developer.

Centre Point has three parts: a 34-storey tower to the west; a 9-storey rectangular block to the east with maisonettes above (Centre Point House), and an enclosed link bridge over St Giles High Street connecting the two blocks at first-floor level.

The tower is slender with slightly convex faces; The first floor is double height and carried on a base in the form of a zig-zag valance. The tower has reinforced pre-cast concrete external blocks, each in the form of an 'H' turned on its side. This shape allowed the reinforcement of each unit to be bolted to that of the one above from within the building, which had to be erected without scaffolding due to space restrictions, and it also enabled rainwater to be thrown clear of the structure without use of flashings. The windows were also designed to be fitted from inside.

Various refurbishments man that virtually all of the interior fixtures have disappeared. The exception is a staircase between floors 31 and 32.

Above the top storey is an open viewing gallery. The author Neil Gaiman describes the tower as an "ugly and distinctive Sixties skyscraper" and continues "however the view from the top was without compare, and, furthermore, the top of Centre Point was one of the few places in the West End of London where you did not have to look at Centre Point itself”.

The site was originally occupied by a gallows on St Giles High Street. The street still exists but had to be re-routed for the construction. It was grade II listed in 1995 and in 2015 it became a mixed-use development comprising residential apartments, office spaces, and retail outlets. It retains its status as a recognizable symbol of Brutalist/modernist architecture and urban regeneration in the heart of the capital but has become known locally as ‘the ghost tower’ with many of the apartments remaining unsold.

Whatever else is said there is no doubt an iconic symbol of London's skyline, its distinctive silhouette serving as a recognizable landmark for residents and visitors alike.