Night Gallery

Finsbury Avenue JLP01_10_16998

Finsbury Avenue, Broadgate, City of London. A night scene with the lights from the office block at 1 Finsbury Avenue reflected by the pool in front.
The Finsbury Avenue complex was a three phase speculative office development by Rosehaugh Greycoat Estates in anticipation of the deregulation of the financial markets in 1986. It aimed to entice potential tenants in the financial services industry to a fringe area on the edge of the City through high quality design and construction. Designed by Peter Foggo of Arup Associates, Laing secured the management contract for the construction of each phase in turn. Work on phase one, 1 Finsbury Avenue began in December 1982 and was completed by September 1984 followed by phase two, 3 Finsbury Avenue, from October 1985 to December 1986 with work beginning on phase three, 2 Finsbury Avenue in January 1987 and complete by April 1988. The design for each of the three buildings followed a "shell and core" approach incorporating flexibility in the internal construction and allowing simple reconfiguration of space according to tenants needs. Laing undertook several contracts to refit office space in each of the buildings in subsequent years.
1 Finsbury Avenue is constructed around a central atrium with an octagonal glazed lantern roof providing daylight to the office space on all floors and in contrast to expectations from the dark bronze anodised aluminium and tinted windows of the exterior. The roof terraces stepped design and the brises soleil with diagonal bracing breaks up the silhouette and facade of the building and mitigate the impact of its size. The building became almost a blueprint for future developments of this kind. It won a RIBA design award in 1987 and was listed grade II in 2015

© Historic England Archive

Steel liner for the dome JLP01_10_49267

SIZEWELL B POWER STATION, LEISTON, SUFFOLK COASTAL. Looking south-east towards the reactor building on the construction site of Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station, showing three sections of steel liner for the reactor dome in the foreground.
Sizewell B is one of two nuclear power stations on the Suffolk coast near the village of Sizewell. Sizewell A, its predecessor, is in the process of being decommissioned. Sizewell B is a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR); the first of its kind to be constructed in the UK. John Laing plc were awarded the contract for the main civil engineering work on 19th May 1987. Sizewell B was completed in 1995, after 8 years of construction, and is operated by EDF Energy

© Historic England Archive. John Laing Photographic Collection

Fawley Power Station OP03034

Control room, Fawley Power Station, Hampshire, 1968. John R Pantlin (1917-€“2003), silver gelatin DOP (developing out paper) print. John Pantlin photographed new architecture and interior design for the architectural press. He was equally adept at photographing houses, schools, commercial buildings and factories. Here, his low point of view and strong illumination emphasises the modernity of Fawley Power Station'€™s control room

© Historic England