Bush House

Bush House stands at the southern end of Kingsway in the City of Westminster, between Aldwych and the Strand. It is a Grade II listed building made of Portland stone, designed by American architect Harvey Wiley Corbett. The building was commissioned and funded by American industrialist Irving T. Bush as a major trade centre. Construction began in 1925 and was completed in stages by 1935. By 1929 it was already called the most expensive building in the world. The building’s history includes a long association with broadcasting. From 1941 to 2012 it housed the BBC World Service, which broadcast from four of its wings. The BBC European Service moved in after wartime damage to Broadcasting House, and the World Service remained until 2012. The building also briefly hosted BBC GLR while its usual studios were refurbished. Its entrance features statues by Malvina Hoffman symbolising Anglo-American friendship. Today Bush House forms part of King’s College London’s Strand Campus. The university has modernised the interior while keeping original features. It now contains lecture theatres, seminar rooms, a 400-seat auditorium, and academic offices. The Students’ Union and King’s Business School are also based here. A glass pavilion in the courtyard links the wings and opens to student spaces.