London down below : The Post Office Tower : London : G.P.O. guide book : 1966 : central text
The centrefold of the 1966 souvenir booklet of the Post Office Tower in London is a double page spread showing the panoramic vista of the city in all four cardinal directions highlighting major points and places of interest. It is fascinating to see just how dramatically the London skyline has changed in nearly sixty years.
When the Post Office Tower (now known as the BT Tower after the privatisation of the GPO) was opened in London in 1966 it was, until 1980, the tallest building in the capital and it is still a very visible landmark on the city's skyline. Built primarily to allow microwave based transmission of phone and television data at a time when demand for such services was growing rapidly. The Tower sat next to the existing 'Museum' telephone exchange (its lattice tower can be seen next to the tower base) and it was the hub for a nationwide sequence of similar towers and structures. The architects were from the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works (in the days when we had them) and are given as E Bedford and G R Yeats. The structural and electrical engineers are S G Silhan, J J Taylor and N Lampitt. The Tower was built by Peter Lind & Co. This rather fine booklet was produced as a souvenir and priced at 2s 6d (12.5p). In those days access to the public viewing platforms and the famous revolving restaurant was part of the design; all are now closed off due to security issues.
London down below : The Post Office Tower : London : G.P.O. guide book : 1966 : central text
The centrefold of the 1966 souvenir booklet of the Post Office Tower in London is a double page spread showing the panoramic vista of the city in all four cardinal directions highlighting major points and places of interest. It is fascinating to see just how dramatically the London skyline has changed in nearly sixty years.
When the Post Office Tower (now known as the BT Tower after the privatisation of the GPO) was opened in London in 1966 it was, until 1980, the tallest building in the capital and it is still a very visible landmark on the city's skyline. Built primarily to allow microwave based transmission of phone and television data at a time when demand for such services was growing rapidly. The Tower sat next to the existing 'Museum' telephone exchange (its lattice tower can be seen next to the tower base) and it was the hub for a nationwide sequence of similar towers and structures. The architects were from the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works (in the days when we had them) and are given as E Bedford and G R Yeats. The structural and electrical engineers are S G Silhan, J J Taylor and N Lampitt. The Tower was built by Peter Lind & Co. This rather fine booklet was produced as a souvenir and priced at 2s 6d (12.5p). In those days access to the public viewing platforms and the famous revolving restaurant was part of the design; all are now closed off due to security issues.