Ministry of Defence Main Building

Ministry of Defence Main Building
Map
Former namesWhitehall Gardens Building
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeGovernment office
AddressWhitehall
City of Westminster
SW1A 2HB
Town or cityLondon
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′14″N 0°07′30″W / 51.5040°N 0.1249°W / 51.5040; -0.1249
Current tenantsMinistry of Defence (MOD)
Completed1959; 65 years ago (1959)
Renovated2000–2004
Renovation cost£746 million
OwnerHM Government
Height
ArchitecturalNeoclassical
Technical details
MaterialPortland stone and copper roof
Floor count13 (10 above ground and 3 below)
Design and construction
Architect(s)E. Vincent Harris
DeveloperHM Government
Other designersSir Charles Wheeler (Sculptor)
David McFall (Sculptor)
Main contractorTrollope & Colls
Renovating team
Architect(s)HOK
Renovating firmMinistry of Defence and Modus Services
Structural engineerAlan Baxter
Services engineerWSP
Main contractorSkanska
Other information
Public transit accessLondon Underground Westminster
London River Services Westminster Millennium Pier
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameMinistry of Defence, containing Sixteenth Century undercroft and historic rooms numbers 13, 24, 25, 27 and 79
Designated14 January 1970
Reference no.1278223

The Ministry of Defence Main Building or MOD Main Building, also known as MOD Whitehall or originally as the Whitehall Gardens Building, is a grade I listed government office building located on Whitehall in London. The building was designed by E. Vincent Harris in 1915 and constructed between 1939 and 1959 on part of the site of the Palace of Whitehall, specifically Pelham House, Cromwell House, Montagu House, Pembroke House and part of Whitehall Gardens. It was initially occupied by the Air Ministry and the Board of Trade before becoming the current home of the Ministry of Defence in 1964.

By the 1990s the building was no longer considered fit for purpose and had become expensive to maintain. A major refurbishment was therefore undertaken between 2000 and 2004 through a private finance initiative contract.