Government Offices, Ministry Of Agriculture Fisheries And Food Government Offices, Ministry Of Agriculture Fisheries And Food West Block

The Government Offices for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, located at No. 55 Whitehall, is a notable building constructed in 1909 by architect J. W. Murray, with a rear extension added between 1951 and 1952 by C. E. Mee of the Ministry of Works. The building is made of Portland stone, featuring slate and terrace roofs. Murray's design is a restrained continuation of the Baroque style used by Brydon and Young in earlier government offices, while Mee's extension showcases a well-proportioned and subtly detailed stripped classical style.

Murray's original structure consists of five storeys, arranged as a ground floor and mezzanine above a basement, two main storeys, and an attic storey. The front facade and both returns are five windows wide. The podium has channelled rustication and features a central projecting portal topped with a large broken segmental pediment. The windows are recessed glazing bar sashes, with cornices or pediments on the main storeys. The central three windows are set behind an Ionic colonnade in antis, while the outer bays have first-floor windows and lunettes above, all set within large through-storey niches adorned with enriched keystones. The attic includes three enriched oculi positioned between blind, channelled panels. An entablature runs beneath the second floor, with balustrades in front of the windows, and the main entablature above the third floor is complemented by a secondary cornice leading to a balustraded parapet. The returns feature similar but simplified fenestration.

Mee's extension also comprises five storeys with a slightly set-back attic storey and slightly advanced wings, creating a compact stepped composition. The central entrance is adorned with a large coat of arms and flanked by allegorical sculptures by James Woodford. The first-floor recession of the wall plane creates a pilaster effect.