2 Marsham Street

The site was previously occupied by the Departments of Environment (DoE) and Transport (DfT). The headquarters offices of both departments were located in Marsham Towers—three 20-floor concrete towers (North, Centre and South) joined together by 'podium' floors to level 3. The towers won an architectural award, and boasted express lifts, marble entrances and escalators to the third floor—very modern government offices for the early 1970s. Construction had started in the early 1960s but was finally completed in 1971, becoming the office of the new DoE created in October 1970 (out of a merger between the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the Ministry of Transport). which previously…

Designed by Terry Farrell, the new building was financed through the private finance initiative (PFI) model with French construction firm Bouygues as contractor. It was completed within 24 months. The cost of £311 million was to be spread over 29 years, and is partially met by the issue of bonds. The site is made up of three buildings, designated Seacole, Peel and Fry. They are named after Mary Seacole, Robert Peel and Elizabeth Fry, figures who had significant impacts in areas within the Home Office's responsibility. The buildings are connected by a bridge from the first to the fourth floors, forming part of a corridor that runs the whole length of the building. Staff call this corridor…