T.U.C Memorial Building

The building is centred on a courtyard beneath which is a conference hall that seats 500. On three sides of the building are offices and meeting rooms. The fourth side of the building consists of the memorial wall with its imposing work by Sir Jacob Epstein, carved on the spot from a single ten-ton block of Roman stone.

A plaster miniature for the work is displayed in the Bevin Room next to the general secretary’s office. The front of the building is dominated by a bronze sculpture by Bernard Meadows representing the spirit of trade unionism with the strong helping the weak.

The street facings are 2-in. Cornish granite slabs polished to a 'wet sheen'. In the courtyard the facings are precast vitreous mosaic-faced panels with haunches on the back which seat into performed pockets in the structure.

General office staircases are finished with precast terrazzo tread and riser units cast in one piece. Main staircases are finished with 2-inch Burma teak.

In the office areas, floors are of compressed cork tiles laid over screeds in which a complete under-floor fiber duct system is arranged for the running of all electrical and telephone services.

In other areas and the lift halls, floors are either hardwood strip or block, expect for the man entrance hall, which is sicilian pearl marble. all the majority units of accommodation are lined with hardwoods and veneers and, in general, have suspended plaster ceilings.

The idea for the building came from a resolution at the 1944 Congress. In addition to commemorating trade unionists’ war efforts, the General Council saw the creation of the new headquarters as an opportunity to promote interest in the arts and architecture. A competition for a suitable design, which attracted 181 entries, was won by David Du R Aberdeen