Congress House

Congress House
Congress House
Map
General information
LocationGreat Russell Street, Holborn, London WC1B 3LS, England
Completed1958
Design and construction
Architect(s)David du Roi Aberdeen
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameCongress House, including forecourt and courtyard sculptures
Designated29 March 1988
Reference no.1113223

Congress House is the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a British organisation that represents most of the UK's trade unions. It is also an events venue, Congress Centre.

In 1948, David du Roi Aberdeen won an architectural competition to design the new TUC headquarters building in Great Russell Street, London.[1] Staff began to move into the offices in 1956. Congress House was officially opened on 27 March 1958 along with the unveiling of a giant pietà-style statue of a woman holding her dead son. Carved in place in the internal courtyard by Jacob Epstein, it was intended as a memorial to the dead trade unionists of both world wars.[2]

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.[1] The main facing material of the façade is polished grey Cornish granite.[3]

Congress House was one of the earliest post-war buildings to be listed, at Grade II*, in 1988.[4][5]

In 2015, an ETFE roof was installed over the internal courtyard which enabled the glass roof of the conference centre below to be reinstated and affords protection to the Epstein statue.[6][7]

In 2018, an extensive redevelopment of the rear of the building was carried out, creating a new entrance, reception, offices and staff facilities.[8] Known as 'The Rookery', the new development includes a public artwork by German artist Eva Berendes inspired by traditional trade union badges.[9]

  1. ^ a b [1] Archived December 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "The Union Makes Us Strong – TUC History Online". Unionhistory.info. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Pleasing facade of the new T.U.C. building". The Times. 12 October 1956. p. 4.
  4. ^ "Congress House". c20society. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1113223)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  6. ^ Architects, Hugh Broughton. "TUC Congress House | Hugh Broughton Architects". Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016. at Archive.org.
  7. ^ "Home". Congress Centre. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. ^ Architects, Hugh Broughton. "TUC Congress House | Hugh Broughton Architects". hbarchitects.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Eva Berendes". evaberendes.com. Retrieved 20 June 2019.