Faraday Building

Faraday Building - A.R. Myers architect
...on the site of GPO South.

	Faraday Building, a vast cavernous 1930s design commissioned by the Office of Works and built on the site of the original GPO South (former Savings Bank HQ). Photo: Faraday Building © Light Straw Archive
\| EXIT \| Introduction \| Site History \| The Design \| Fifties Faraday \| The Telephonists \| The IMC \|

Faraday Building

Switchboards no longer grace its halls. No footsteps echo across the walkways, with none to take the Tolls . No Strowger electro-mechanical clatterings. No oildag in the air, no heated magnet coils. No Special Faults, no RWTs.

These few pages may bring back better memories of when Faraday was a showcase to the world and daily tours could be arranged via the local Telephone Manager!

Site History
	GPO South, in Central London, was close to St. Paul's Cathedral. The street around the Cathedral was known as St. Paul's Churchyard. Within GPO South the history of the site can be traced back to the sixteenth century to the time of the Doctors' Commons. Photo: On the site of GPO South © LSA October 2005
The Design
	Faraday Building was designed by A.R. Myers, an architect of the Office of Works. This was a new building, on the site of the original Post Office Savings Bank HQ in Queen Victoria Street. The building was constructed circa 1930 and officially opened on 4th May 1933. Photo: Faraday Building © Light Straw Archive.
Fifties Faraday
	Brian Cross remembers L/NE (London North East) in the mid-1950s and shares some photographs, including his leaving party in 1955. Photo: Faraday Building circa 1950 © Brian Cross.
The Telephonists
	London telephonists played a key role in the growth of telecoms in the capital city, until STD and ISD gradually took over. Here we focus on telephonist training and staff who worked on the Faraday boards. Photo: Faraday Telephonist circa 1980 © Light Straw Archive.
The IMC
	The London International Maintenance Control (IMC) was established in the late 1950s to co-ordinate the testing and repair of all international circuits. Photo: Faraday International Maintenance Control circa 1960 courtesy of John Burt.
Michael Faraday
	The Post Office named Faraday Building in honour of Michael Faraday, a pioneer of electromagnetism. Learn more about other Faraday connections... Photo: Portrait of Michael Faraday in the former Steyning IBTE Museum (might be an Amberley museum pic?) © Light Straw 2000.

Design, images and text compiled by © Light-Straw. Page last updated June 2015 revision. Checked May 2021.

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