Wills Building

The Wills Building is an Art Deco structure in Newcastle featuring an office block that faces the main road with extended wings arranged in a quadrangle layout. The complex occupies a substantial footprint within the urban landscape, with the front section retaining its distinctive architectural character.

Construction of this facility began in the late 1940s as a manufacturing plant for W. D. & H. O. Wills cigarettes, operating for several decades until closure in 1986. The site underwent significant transformation afterward, being adapted for residential use in the years that followed.

The building once housed a theatre and recreation facilities for workers, reflecting how mid-20th century factories cared for their employees beyond just manufacturing.

Today the building contains residential apartments following a major 1999 renovation that introduced modern amenities and updated infrastructure throughout. The interior is private, so visitors can mainly appreciate the exterior architecture and its presence along the main road.

During renovation work, the rear portion had to be demolished as decades of tobacco processing had left heavy nicotine deposits that damaged the structure beyond repair. Only the original front section could be preserved from the original construction.

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

GPS coordinates: 54.99600,-1.56200

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:07