102 Petty France

A large office block stands on Petty France in Westminster, overlooking St James’s Park. It was designed by Fitzroy Robinson & Partners with Sir Basil Spence and completed in 1976. The building was once the main location for the UK Home Office between 1978 and 2004, when it was known as 50 Queen Anne’s Gate. Today it houses departments including the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Office for Budget Responsibility, and the Government Legal Department. The block is 56 metres tall with 14 floors providing 51,000 square metres of office space. Critics disliked the previous mansion block on the site, Queen Anne’s Mansions, calling it an “irredeemable horror.” The new building also drew criticism for its scale and Brutalist style, earning nicknames such as “the Lubyanka.” Lord Reigate and Lord St John of Fawsley both spoke against its design in Parliament. Fodor’s guide described it as “hulking,” and it was said to tower above St James’s Park. Originally built as a speculative office development, the Home Office moved in when its previous headquarters in Whitehall proved too small. Visitors approaching the building see a tall concrete structure with protruding floors at top and bottom. The refurbished interiors now serve the Ministry of Justice and other government departments. St James’s Park lies directly across the road, offering green space and views of the lake and pelicans. The area around Petty France is quiet compared with the busier parts of Westminster. The building’s name changed to 102 Petty France after the 2008 refurbishment.