Shell Centre
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Sarah J Duncan (website) Download Original
A large corporate headquarters situated on the south bank of the Thames
The building is organized into many divisions of varying sizes, which are grouped together in the layout of these divisions in relation to one another, meaning frequent regrouping by means of manipulation of the flexible partitions used throughout the office space, except at director level where walls are more permanent.
The office space, nearly 56,000m2, amounts to just a third of the total building space. In various other parts of the building there are squash courts, a large swimming pool, a rifle range, badminton courts, a cinema, restaurants and exhibition spaces.
Corridor access is used throughout the building and all offices are fully enclosed. The building was constructed throughout on the double corridor system, with offices five metres deep on the outside of the corridors and a central core in which are such services as lifts, lavatories, air ducts etc.
Shell Centre was one of the first buildings in the country to be designed for full air-conditioning, and with lighting and sound insulation also carefully considered.
Data
- Completed: 1961
- Floor area: 167,225m2
- Sector: Office
- Total cost: £30M
- Address: Shell U.K. Limited, Shell Centre, 2 York Road, London, SE1 7NA, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Sir Howard Robertson, Murray Easton
- Project architect: Sir Howard Robertson
- Client: Shell