Willis Building

The Willis Building was commissioned by John Roscoe, chairman of Willis, Faber & Dumas, in the early 1970s. The architectural firm of Norman Foster was selected after a shortlist was provided by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Foster's design, inspired by a glass-clad office building he had recently completed, featured innovative energy-conscious elements and open-plan floor spaces. The building was officially opened on June 2, 1975, by former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. In 1991 the Willis building became the newest building to be given Grade I listed building status in Britain. At the time it was one of only two listed buildings under 30 years of age.

The centre of the building is constructed from a grid of concrete pillars, 14 m (46 ft) apart, supporting cantilevered concrete slab floors. The curtain wall exterior is clad in panels of dark smoked glass. The use of dark glass, a curtain wall and lack of right angle corners mirrors the art deco Express Building in Manchester, cited by Norman Foster as one of his favourite buildings and a design influence. The central escalator well leads up to a rooftop staff restaurant surrounded by a rooftop garden (360 panorama). The interior floors are green and the walls are painted yellow, inspired by the colours of the outside environment. The office had a ground-floor swimming pool that was…