2-10, Tavistock Street Wc2

TQ 3080 NW CITY OF WESTMINSTER TAVISTOCK STREET, WC2 72/46 (south side) 5.2.70 Nos 2 to 10 (even)

G.V. II*

Former Country Life Offices. Offices. 1904-5 by (Sir) Edwin Lutyens, his first London building commissioned by the founder of "Country Life" Edward Hudson for whom Lutyens had recently designed Deanery Garden, Sonning. Red brick and Portland stone, pantile roof. Unmistakably individual "Wrenaissance" design combined with early Georgian details, the whole conceived to read in perspective of confined street as well as from Southampton Street angled view point. 4 storeys with attic windows inserted in parapet 1956-57 at the same time as the dormers in roof. 7 windows wide (3:1:3). Tall ground floor faced in deeply channelled stone with central archivolt arched doorway contained in a grandly inflated "Georgian doorcase" with Corinthian pilasters backed by half pilasters and enriched carving to frieze, carrying dosserets to large broken segmental pediment framing central 1st floor cum mezzanine window. Ground floor has recessed,small pane,thick glazing bar sashes (used throughout) with channelling struck as voussoirs to flat arches with enriched console-keystones. 1st floor cum mezzanine windows architraved and console-keyed with segmental heads and sills; they are linked by stone aprons to tall 2nd floor architraved windows with pulvinated friezes and courses, the centre window pedimented; square, architraved windows to 3rd floor. Bold richly moulded stone cornice below parapet-attic; sill band to 2nd floor and impost band to 1st floor cum mezzanine. Fine tall stone dressed brick chimney stacks to front pitch, flanking ridge. Interior has monumentally treated entrance hall, cross vaulted with a Doric column screen to the staircase rising round lift shaft with gallery half-landing overlooking hall; main suite of rooms on 2nd floor piano nobile with deep coved ceilings dramatically emphasised over chimney breasts, architraved and entablatured doorcases etc. The Lutyens Memorial Volumes: Christopher Hussey.

Listing NGR: TQ3043480823