SIS Building

The SIS Building stands on the south bank of the Thames at Vauxhall Cross, its angular glass-and-steel form rising beside Vauxhall Bridge. The site once held the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in the 19th century, later covered by industrial buildings including a glass factory and a gin distillery. Archaeologists uncovered remains of 17th-century glass kilns and an old river wall during excavation. The architect Terry Farrell won the competition with a design that echoes 1930s power stations and Mayan temples. The building’s sixty separate roofs and triple-glazed windows reflect its layered, secure layout. It became the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service in 1994 after the previous base at Century House was judged irredeemably insecure. Century House, a glass-clad 22-storey block near Waterloo, had been described by the National Audit Office as a security risk with a petrol station at its base. The new headquarters cost £152.6 million to build and equip, including special security measures. Two moats and underground corridors protect sensitive areas, while staff enjoy a sports hall, gymnasium and restaurant. A rumoured tunnel under the river is part of the site’s secretive reputation. Visitors see a fortress-like structure with sharp angles and dark glass that changes appearance as they walk around it. The building’s scale and silhouette have made it a familiar landmark on the Thames skyline. Inside, large parts lie below street level, connected by corridors that keep operations hidden from view. The site has survived real and cinematic attacks, adding to its dramatic presence. Its design divides opinion, praised for energy and wit yet criticised as overly dramatic. The building remains a working intelligence centre, rarely open to the public but impossible to ignore.