The time according to LUL.....

Today, as part of the London Transport Museum's "Hidden London" programme, we visited the Grade 1 listed London Underground HQ at 55 Broadway.  This rather splendid building, described as "London's first skyscraper", is 14 storeys and 53 meters high and was the tallest office building in London when built (St Paul's Cathedral is taller).  It was built on a steel frame skeleton (a system pioneered in America) over St James's Park station and the outside is clad in unpolished Portland stone.

The interior used unpolished travertine marble extensively on floor and walls (as seen here behind the clock).  Doors were made of bronze, enamel, glass and walnut and the original floors on upper storeys were teak parquet.

There have been some changes made to the building, allowable before its listing was upgraded to Grade 1.  The demands of a modern office are not always compatible with a building design of this age, but Transport for London still occupy the whole building.

The hierarchical structure of the company in its early days (indeed up to the 1970s) resulted in luxurious finishes and spacious offices for the executives, and separate dining rooms for executives, officers, and "the rest".  This can still be seen in the design of the interior of the building, although executive suites on the upper floors are now used as meeting spaces accessible to all employees.

We were shown round by knowledgeable and friendly volunteer guides and it proved to be a most enjoyable and entertaining afternoon.

Further pictures from our visit can be seen here.