A Victorious Transformation in Holborn

London’s Best Office Spaces – The Links Between London’s Past and the Modern World

The striking nine-storey Victoria House in Holborn is built in the neoclassical style and is complete with Portland stone facades. It is actually described as being built in the ‘Néo-Grec’ style which was a Neoclassical revival style of the mid-to-late 19th century that was popularised in during the reign of Napoleon the third who reigned from 1852 to 1870. The Néo-Grec style was inspired by 18th-century excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, and became popular in the mid-19th century. The style combined elements of the Graeco-Roman, Pompeian, and Egyptian styles into a richly eclectic blend. The 150,000 sqft property stands dominantly on Bloomsbury Square in the heart of what is known, today, as London's Knowledge Quarter’ due to the presence of multiple educational institutions in the vicinity, in the Midtown district of Central London. It was built for and acted as, for many decades, the head office of the Liverpool and Victoria Friendly Society also known as the Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company. The building was designed by Charles William Long and the northern end of the building was formally opened on the 23rd June 1926 - the official opening of the fully completed building took place 8th August 1932. Although the exterior of the building is largely unchanged, the interior has been extensively modernised, with building works completed in 2003. The interior features of Victoria House that were of historic interest were retained and refurbished to their former glory. Inside, the property retains its original four entrance lobbies faced with Subiaco marble, and ornamental brasswork by the Bromsgrove Guild, some of which bearing the "VH" monogram. The building also retains its original Art Deco ballroom which has been transformed into the magnificent Bloomsbury Ballroom function venue. Incidentally, the Bloomsbury Ballroom featured in the final episode of The Apprentice series ten in 2014 where it was used as the location for the two finalists' business launches. The fascinating building also contains figurative sculptures by Herbert William Palliser, with the group to the west of the building representing the bounty of the natural world, and the group to the east representing navigation and industry. Victoria House was first listed as a Grade II property in 1990 – a listing that is reserved for properties of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them. The listing documents the Portland stone, the bronze infill panels and copperlite glazing surrounds as well as the green slate mansard roof with dormers. Other features included in the listing include the central distyle-in-antis Ionic (Erechtheion) portico through the first to fourth floors. The tympanum with a sculpture of a central robed figure with arms outstretched flanked by other figures expressing the bounty of the natural world. The basement dance hall with coloured glass light fittings, door furniture and surrounds in polished steel and radiator grilles embossed with VH monogram. The extensive mahogany panelling to third-floor offices and the central ground floor public area, open through three floors to elaborate coffered suspended ceiling. In 2020, Victoria House was transformed into what the office space company that created it, describe as the largest coworking space in London. Following sensitive restoration, Victoria House now boasts flexible floorplates creating office suites that are suitable for teams of all sizes - from freelancers to global corporations. With its eclectic styling with nods to exploration and discovery, and its relatively recent choice as a venue for a high-profile business competition, it seems the perfect location for modern companies to become victorious in their chosen fields in the 21st Century.