The building has housed a number of departments besides the Treasury, including parts of the Foreign Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the National Investment and Loans Office and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. Local people queued along the ground floor corridor for inoculations at the Public Health Office. It was home to the Board of Education, the Local Government Board and the local Ministry of Works Office. GOGGS was originally called the New Public Offices, as opposed to the Old Public Offices – now the Foreign Office – next door. Other notable features of the building are the central courtyard, the main conference room overlooking Whitehall and the Chancellor’s old office. The architectural merit of the building was compromised by this change: in 1910 the Architectural Review said: “the intrusion of another hand less inspired than the original designer is plainly evident.” But the building has some architectural merit – it’s now Grade II* listed. Brydon died before completion of the project and Sir Henry Tanner, the government’s Chief Architect of Works, took over. The large circular court in the middle of the building is derived from Inigo Jones’ design for a new Whitehall Palace (never built), and is a very distinctive piece of architecture. In Bath, Brydon made use of the local stone – a feature he repeated in GOGGS, cladding it in Portland stone. Brydon’s early works include the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Memorial Hospital, Chelsea Town Hall, the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath and an extension to the Bath Pump Room. The principal architect was John Brydon, who was selected by the Minister of Works after a competition. The building is an island site bounded by Parliament Street, Great George Street, Horse Guards Road and King Charles Street. In order to maximise floor space, offices were arranged either side of dark internal corridors – the opposite of what had been intended. An entrance on to the park was added in the second building phase, the St James’ Park end, between 19. The aim was to build light, open-plan offices so offices were built around the perimeter walls of the building and around three large courtyards, while corridors were placed beside light-wells. The Parliament Street (Whitehall) end was built first, completed in 1908. It stands on the site of a number of narrow old streets cleared to make way for the building. Since then, GOGGS has been the department’s headquarters, housing staff and ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Treasury continued to occupy this building, and expanded into a new Treasury building designed by John Soane, until both buildings were severely damaged by bombs in 1940. In 1734 a new Treasury was built by William Kent, which still stands on Horse Guards today. Cock-fighting had ceased there under the Tudors but the building was used as a theatre and as chambers for members of the Royal Household. In 1698 a huge blaze, caused by a servant airing some linen too close to the fire, destroyed all but the Banqueting House (built by Inigo Jones for Charles I) which still stands on Whitehall today, and Cardinal Wolsey’s wine cellar which is now under the Ministry of Defence building.įollowing the fire, the homeless Treasury moved to Henry VIII’s Cockpit (near today’s Horse Guards Parade). This consisted of a number of timber-framed buildings grouped around formal gardens, originally built in 1529 by Henry VIII. On ascending to the throne Charles II, perhaps wanting to keep a close eye on his finances, allocated it rooms in Whitehall Palace. The Treasury then operated from the Exchequer Receipt Office in Westminster Cloisters until the Restoration in 1660. The royal treasure was originally located in Winchester, and was moved to the Whitehall area following the Norman Conquest. The Treasury has been based at GOGGS in Whitehall since 1940. Government Offices Great George Street (GOGGS): a history This major step forward in working conditions and working methods for Treasury staff was achieved through a complete refurbishment of the western end of the building known as Government Offices Great George St (GOGGS). The increased space available in the new building enabled all Treasury staff to work in the same building for the first time in over 50 years. New office accommodation for the Treasury at 1 Horse Guards Road (1HGR), Whitehall, was opened by Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve Board on 25 September 2002.
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