The new HQ will involve the redevelopment of the existing and currently unoccupied Curtis Green building on the Victoria Embankment, London SW1.
The Curtis Green Building, named after architect William Curtis Green, sits between the Norman Shaw Building and the Ministry of Defence. It faces onto the Victoria Embankment with views across the River Thames to London County Hall, Westminster Bridge and the London Eye.
Since 1967 the Met’s HQ has been at New Scotland Yard, just off Victoria Street.But it has moved several times in its history – from Whitehall Place to Great Scotland Yard in 1875, to the Norman Shaw building in 1890 (which is now an office building for MPs). This future move therefore marks a return to its previous location.
The new HQ will revert to its old name of simply Scotland Yard.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched a design competition on behalf of the Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime (MOPAC) and the MPS to create the new HQ.
MPS director of real estate development Roger Harding said: “The opportunity to create a modern efficient working environment for the Met’s future headquarters, with world-class architecture that provides value for money and is alive to the history of the building provides a wonderful challenge. We look forward to working with RIBA as the competition progresses and to seeing the designs. The transformation of Curtis Green fits with our wider objective to deliver a more efficient and higher quality estate which meets the operational needs of the Met and is significantly lower in cost to run.”
For further details about the competition see www.architecture.com/competitions and follow the link to Live Competitions. Deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 2.00pm on Thursday 27 June 2013.
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