102 Petty France, Government building in Westminster, London, England
102 Petty France is a government building in Westminster with 14 stories made of raw concrete. The structure houses several state departments and fills an entire city block with its massive, unfinished form.
The building was completed in 1976 by architect Basil Spence and replaced earlier structures on the site. It served as the Home Office headquarters starting in 1978 until the department moved elsewhere in the early 2000s.
The building represents brutalism, an architectural movement that shaped many British government structures during the 1970s. Visitors notice the raw concrete form and angular lines that define this style.
The building is an active government seat and not freely accessible to the public. Visitors can view the outer facade from the street and admire the brutalist architecture, but tours of the interior are not available.
During its early years as home to the Home Office, the building was informally called 'the Lubyanka' by staff, a playful reference to the notorious Soviet secret police headquarters. This tongue-in-cheek nickname faded after a 2005 renovation and renaming.
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