Export House
Encyclopedia
Export House, known locally as the BAT Building due to its former tenant British American Tobacco
, is the tallest building in Woking
and one of the tallest buildings in Surrey
. It is 73 metres (239.5 ft) tall and has 18 stories. It appears as a 3D building on Google Earth
. The office blocks covers 10200000 square feet (947,611 m²).
, which is part of the same complex. It has been the tallest building in Woking ever since it was completed. The Victoria Way development, if built, will be 2 metres taller than Export House. Construction of Export House finished in 1974 although it was not ready for tenants until 1976.
In 1976 British American Tobacco moved in as the first tenant, making it their headquarters. In 1997 it was announced that BAT were relocating to a new building in London. In 2001 Telewest
, who had previously occupied the top 6 floors, took over the rest of the building following refurbishment works. However, Telewest left in 2006 after a merger with NTL
. It is now occupied by the Mouchel Group PLC
who moved from West Hall in nearby West Byfleet
. In 2008 Mustang Engineering moved into Export House.
moved in to Export House during Summer 2001 after a £15million refurbishment. They rented for £23.50 per sq. ft. They had rented the top six floors for about a year before. Their previous base was in Sheerwater
.
opposite. It is by Cawsey Way, Woking, Surrey. It is also by Church Street although its address is 'Cawsey Way, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6QX'. The postcode has previously been GU21 5QX and GU21 1YB.
s nest on top of the building. These birds are rare, but they are often seen flying around Woking
.
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
, is the tallest building in Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
and one of the tallest buildings in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. It is 73 metres (239.5 ft) tall and has 18 stories. It appears as a 3D building on Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
. The office blocks covers 10200000 square feet (947,611 m²).
History
It was part of the first major town centre development in Woking Post-1945 ( Post War). It was built at the same time as the Wolsey Place Shopping CentreShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, which is part of the same complex. It has been the tallest building in Woking ever since it was completed. The Victoria Way development, if built, will be 2 metres taller than Export House. Construction of Export House finished in 1974 although it was not ready for tenants until 1976.
In 1976 British American Tobacco moved in as the first tenant, making it their headquarters. In 1997 it was announced that BAT were relocating to a new building in London. In 2001 Telewest
Telewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
, who had previously occupied the top 6 floors, took over the rest of the building following refurbishment works. However, Telewest left in 2006 after a merger with NTL
NTL
NTL Incorporated, was a U.S.-listed British company, that became the first "quadruple-play" media-company in the UK, bringing together television, Internet, mobile phone and fixed-line telephone services. While NTL has its headquarters in New York City, the company's activities focus heavily on...
. It is now occupied by the Mouchel Group PLC
Mouchel
Mouchel Group plc is a multinational infrastructure and business services company headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom. It operates in sectors including highways, business process outsourcing, water, property, housing, education, waste, environmental and local government consultancy services in...
who moved from West Hall in nearby West Byfleet
West Byfleet
West Byfleet is a village in Surrey. Forming part of the Greater London Urban Area it lies in the stockbroker belt just outside the M25 motorway, 19 miles from Charing Cross, 8 miles from London Heathrow. The village grew up around the station on the London & South Western Railway. The...
. In 2008 Mustang Engineering moved into Export House.
Telewest era
TelewestTelewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
moved in to Export House during Summer 2001 after a £15million refurbishment. They rented for £23.50 per sq. ft. They had rented the top six floors for about a year before. Their previous base was in Sheerwater
Sheerwater
Sheerwater is a large housing estate in Woking, Surrey, England. It is located between West Byfleet and Woking .Sheerwater was designed as a new neighbourhood by the London County Council, with nearly 1,300 homes built in the early 1950s and over 5,000 people settling in the Borough....
.
Location
The building is located above Wolsey Place Shopping Centre in Woking, Surrey. The entrance is right next to the entrance of Wolsey Place West side/Door. There is also a private, gated car park underneath, as well as a multi-storey car parkMulti-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
opposite. It is by Cawsey Way, Woking, Surrey. It is also by Church Street although its address is 'Cawsey Way, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6QX'. The postcode has previously been GU21 5QX and GU21 1YB.
Public access
The building is sometimes open to the public on Heritage Open Days. The last open day at Export House (as of January 2011) was on Saturday 11 September 2010. Tours last for approximately 30 minutes.Wildlife
Peregrine FalconPeregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s nest on top of the building. These birds are rare, but they are often seen flying around Woking
Woking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
.