No.1 Croydon
Encyclopedia
No.1 Croydon is a skyscraper
at 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon
, London
, next to East Croydon station
. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 storeys and is 269 feet (82 m) high. 'NLA' stood for 'Noble Lowndes Annuities'. The growing town of Croydon attracted many new buildings to be built in the 1970s including No.1 Croydon. In recent years, the development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom.
It is Britain's 88th tallest tower, and an example of original 1970s architecture.
A substantial amount of work had already been done to improve the façade of the tower. It was identified in a Channel 4
programme as one of the UK's top eyesores. A spokesman for building restoration firm Triton said: "Work is running to schedule and within budget."
, dotDigital Group, Zenos Academy
and the Institute of Public Finance
.
the building eventually gained the alternative nickname the 50p building, as it also resembles a stack of the now more familiar 50p pieces
, and it is also referred to as The Wedding Cake.
For many older Croydon residents, however, it is and remains the "Threepenny Bit Building". This building was also used as an establishing shot
in the opening credits of the UK sit-com Terry and June
, before the more well known garden sequence.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
at 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, next to East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 storeys and is 269 feet (82 m) high. 'NLA' stood for 'Noble Lowndes Annuities'. The growing town of Croydon attracted many new buildings to be built in the 1970s including No.1 Croydon. In recent years, the development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom.
It is Britain's 88th tallest tower, and an example of original 1970s architecture.
Restoration project
A refurbishment programme costing over £3.5 million was completed in early 2007. It included a six-month exterior cleaning project, new lobby, landscaping and common areas, and refurbishment of the top ten floors to provide 74543 square feet (6,925 m²) of high spec, air-conditioned office accommodation.A substantial amount of work had already been done to improve the façade of the tower. It was identified in a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
programme as one of the UK's top eyesores. A spokesman for building restoration firm Triton said: "Work is running to schedule and within budget."
Occupiers
No.1 Croydon is occupied by a number of companies and organisations, including The Royal College of General Practitioners, HCL, IBS, Liberata, Pegasus Solutions, Directline HolidaysDirectline holidays
Directline Holidays is a trading name of holidayline UK and specialises in selling cheap package holidays, flights and hotels.An independent and privately owned UK travel agent, it has been an early adopter and advocate of new media....
, dotDigital Group, Zenos Academy
Zenos Academy
The Zenos IT Academy is an institute, offering government funded learning for learners aged 16 to 24, and paid learning for people outside those boundaries. It focuses on giving its candidates the ability to sit Microsoft exams after an intense learning program that lasts for about 9 months...
and the Institute of Public Finance
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy is a professional institute for accountants working in the public services.CIPFA has 14,000 members who work throughout the public services, in national audit agencies, in major accountancy firms, and in other bodies where public money...
.
Other names
No. 1 Croydon was originally known colloquially as the Threepenny Bit building, due to its resemblance to a number of Threepence coins stacked on top of each other. After the coins stopped being used after 14 February 1971Decimal Day
Decimal Day was the day the United Kingdom and Ireland decimalised their currencies.-Old system:Under the old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, the pound was made up of 240 pence , with 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a...
the building eventually gained the alternative nickname the 50p building, as it also resembles a stack of the now more familiar 50p pieces
British Fifty Pence coin
The British decimal fifty pence coin – often pronounced "fifty pee" – was issued on 14 October 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note...
, and it is also referred to as The Wedding Cake.
For many older Croydon residents, however, it is and remains the "Threepenny Bit Building". This building was also used as an establishing shot
Establishing shot
An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects...
in the opening credits of the UK sit-com Terry and June
Terry and June
Terry and June is a British sitcom that was broadcast on BBC1 from 1979 to 1987. The programme is largely a continuation of Happy Ever After, and stars Terry Scott and June Whitfield as a middle-class suburban couple, Terry and June Medford...
, before the more well known garden sequence.