Smith Square
Encyclopedia
Smith Square is a square in the Westminster
district of London
, just south of the Palace of Westminster
. The centre of the square is occupied by St John's, Smith Square, a Baroque
church now used as a concert hall. Most of the square is now taken up by offices and the location means that they are mostly occupied by organisations associated with government, or that need to be near it for lobbying purposes. In the mid 20th century the square hosted the headquarters of both the main parties of British politics, and it is now home to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
, the Local Government Association
and the London base of the European Parliament
and European Commission
.
Sir John Smith, who was Conservative M.P. for Cities of London and Westminster from 1965 to 1970, lived at no. 1.
The campaigning journalist William Thomas Stead
lived at No. 5 from 1904 until his death on board the Titanic in 1912. Another famous resident was Rab Butler
, the Conservative Deputy Prime Minister.
No. 17 is Nobel House, built in 1928 for the newly formed Imperial Chemical Industries
(ICI). ICI leased it to the government in 1987, and it is currently headquarters for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
.
Next door is Transport House
which from 1928 to 1980 was the headquarters of the Labour Party
- and also the offices of the TGWU until the 1990s. It is now the headquarters of the Local Government Association
and is known as Local Government House.
No. 32 served as Conservative Central Office, the Conservative Party's
headquarters between 1958 and 2003. It stood empty until 2007 when it was sold for £30.5m to Harcourt Developments who planned to redevelop it as flats before the 2008 credit crunch hit. It is now Europe House, the London base of the European Parliament
and the European Commission
.
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
district of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, just south of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. The centre of the square is occupied by St John's, Smith Square, a Baroque
English Baroque
English Baroque is a term sometimes used to refer to the developments in English architecture that were parallel to the evolution of Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London and the Treaty of Utrecht ....
church now used as a concert hall. Most of the square is now taken up by offices and the location means that they are mostly occupied by organisations associated with government, or that need to be near it for lobbying purposes. In the mid 20th century the square hosted the headquarters of both the main parties of British politics, and it is now home to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
, the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
and the London base of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
History
The square was named after the Smith family, on whose land it was developed in the early eighteenth century. The original development of the square was carried out by Sir James Smith around 1726. Numbers one to nine on the north side are part of this original development.Buildings
The campaigning journalist William Thomas Stead
William Thomas Stead
William Thomas Stead was an English journalist and editor who, as one of the early pioneers of investigative journalism, became one of the most controversial figures of the Victorian era. His 'New Journalism' paved the way for today's tabloid press...
lived at No. 5 from 1904 until his death on board the Titanic in 1912. Another famous resident was Rab Butler
Rab Butler
Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG CH DL PC , who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician...
, the Conservative Deputy Prime Minister.
No. 17 is Nobel House, built in 1928 for the newly formed Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
(ICI). ICI leased it to the government in 1987, and it is currently headquarters for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
.
Next door is Transport House
Transport House
Transport House on Smith Square and Dean Bradley Street, London, England, was the headquarters of the Transport and General Workers' Union , and also originally of the Labour Party, the Trades Union Congress, and the Workers' Travel Association...
which from 1928 to 1980 was the headquarters of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
- and also the offices of the TGWU until the 1990s. It is now the headquarters of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
and is known as Local Government House.
No. 32 served as Conservative Central Office, the Conservative Party's
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
headquarters between 1958 and 2003. It stood empty until 2007 when it was sold for £30.5m to Harcourt Developments who planned to redevelop it as flats before the 2008 credit crunch hit. It is now Europe House, the London base of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
See also
- List of eponymous roads in London
- Imperial Chemical HouseImperial Chemical HouseImperial Chemical House is a building situated on Millbank, London, United Kingdom. It was built between 1928 and 1931 by Sir Frank Baines in the neoclassical style of the inter-war years, at the same time as Thames House, also on Millbank....
- Lord North StreetLord North StreetLord North Street is a short street of Georgian terraced housing running between Smith Square and Great Peter Street in Westminster, the political heartland of British government. As such they have always commanded high fees and featured in many dramatic storylines...
- heads north to Great Peter Street - Victoria Tower GardensVictoria Tower GardensVictoria Tower Gardens is a public park along the north bank of the River Thames in London. As its name suggests, it is adjacent to the Victoria Tower, the south-western corner of the Palace of Westminster...
- to the east