Looming over Whitehall in the heart of Westminster, the Old War Office building cuts an imposing figure. Its ornate Victorian Baroque facade and domed turrets exude an aura of power and prestige befitting its storied past. Completed in 1906 at a cost of £1.2 million (equivalent to over £130 million today), this architectural marvel has borne witness to the tumultuous transformation of Britain and its empire over the past century.
A Building Shaped by Conflict
The Old War Office was constructed out of necessity. By the late 19th century, the British Empire was at its zenith, with colonies and military outposts spanning the globe. Coordinating this vast network required an ever-expanding corps of administrators, architects, and draftsmen. The War Office, which had been managing the Army since the 1850s, found itself bursting at the seams of its previous headquarters.
In 1901, the government approved plans for a new War Office building designed by British architect William Young. The structure would consolidate the various offices scattered across Whitehall into a single, purpose-built headquarters. Over 1000 labourers toiled for five years to erect the monumental edifice, which contained over 1000 rooms and 2.5 miles of corridors spread across seven floors and two basement levels.
Nerve Center of an Empire
From the moment its doors opened, the War Office became the beating heart of Britain‘s military machine. Its labyrinthine halls buzzed with activity as staff pored over maps, decoded telegrams, and churned out orders to distant garrisons and fleets. The decisions made within these walls would reverberate across continents and shape the fates of nations.
One of the most influential figures to occupy the building was Lord Kitchener, whose tenure as Secretary of State for War from 1914-1916 made him a household name. A hero of Britain‘s colonial campaigns, Kitchener‘s face adorned the iconic WWI recruitment poster bearing the slogan "Your Country Needs YOU." He oversaw the mobilization and training of millions of soldiers in the early years of the war before his untimely death when HMS Hampshire struck a German mine in 1916.
As the Great War raged on, the War Office played host to other towering personalities. The indomitable David Lloyd George, who served as Prime Minister from 1916-1922, was a frequent presence, as was Winston Churchill, then a young firebrand in the War Cabinet. In a 1917 letter to his wife, Churchill described the War Office as "a huge job" and confessed to feeling overwhelmed by "the intricacy and scope of our military arrangements."
WWII and the Churchill War Rooms
The Old War Office cemented its place in history during the Second World War. As Nazi Germany unleashed its blitzkrieg across Europe, the British high command once again assembled in Whitehall to plot the Empire‘s defense. In May 1940, with invasion looming, Churchill ordered the construction of a fortified bunker beneath the War Office codenamed the "Cabinet War Rooms."
From this cramped, underground warren, Churchill directed the war effort through Britain‘s darkest hours. War Cabinet meetings often stretched late into the night as Churchill and his colleagues wrestled with military strategy and pored over casualty reports from far-flung battlefields. The rooms were Spartan but well protected; a sign on the door wryly noted, "No admittance to the public during air raids."
Testifying to the building‘s resilience, Churchill remarked in his memoirs that despite being struck by a dozen bombs during the Blitz, "the War Office never trembled and carried on methodically." Today, the Cabinet War Rooms are preserved as a museum where visitors can step back in time and experience the claustrophobic confines where Churchill paced, puffed on cigars, and helped steer his nation to victory.
The Spy Who Worked There
Another luminary to pass through the War Office‘s revolving doors was Ian Fleming, creator of the iconic fictional spy James Bond. During WWII, Fleming worked as the personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, Admiral John Godfrey. From his office on the fourth floor, Fleming helped coordinate top-secret missions and craft disinformation to deceive the Germans.
Many have speculated that Fleming‘s time in the building inspired the creation of Bond and the shadowy world of espionage the character inhabits. In a nod to this connection, the War Office has appeared in no less than five Bond films, more than any other location. eagle-eyed viewers can spot the building doubling as MI6 headquarters in Octopussy, A View to a Kill, Licence to Kill, Skyfall, and Spectre.
End of an Era
As Britain‘s empire receded in the post-war period, so too did the War Office‘s prominence. With the creation of the unified Ministry of Defence in 1964, many of the building‘s functions were dispersed to other sites. By 2016, with maintenance costs mounting, the MoD opted to sell the historic structure to the private sector.
The Hinduja Group, a multinational conglomerate, purchased the building for £350 million with plans to convert it into a luxury hotel and residences. Rebranded as the "OWO," the renovated building boasts 85 apartments and a 125-room Raffles Hotel. Slated to open in 2022, the redevelopment aims to blend contemporary comforts with painstaking restoration of period details like oak paneling, mosaic flooring, and marble fireplaces.
Visiting the Old War Office Today
Though off-limits to the general public for over a century, tourists can still admire the Old War Office‘s striking architecture from the street. Conveniently situated in the heart of Westminster, the building is just a stone‘s throw from other iconic landmarks:
- Downing Street (600 ft) – No visit to Whitehall would be complete without a glimpse of the Prime Minister‘s official residence at No. 10.
- Westminster Abbey (0.3 mi) – This Gothic church has hosted coronations and royal weddings since William the Conqueror‘s time. Don‘t miss Poets‘ Corner, where Britain‘s literary greats like Chaucer and Dickens are interred or memorialized.
- The Churchill War Rooms (528 ft) – Step into the secret WWII bunker where Churchill and his staff plotted Britain‘s path to victory. Admission tickets are £25 for adults, £12.50 for children.
- Horse Guards Parade (407 ft) – Watch the stately Changing of the Guard ceremony in the former courtyard of the Palace of Whitehall. Free to the public, the ritual takes place daily at 11:00 AM from April to July and on alternate days the rest of the year.
As you stroll down Whitehall, take a moment to look up at the Old War Office‘s ornate turrets and carved masonry. Imagine the great men and women who have passed beneath its arched entryway and the momentous decisions made within the halls. From imperial ambitions to film fantasies, this building has left an indelible mark on British history and the popular imagination.
Sources
- Holden, Philip. "The Old War Office Building: A Short History." gov.uk, 13 Dec. 2017, www.gov.uk/government/history/old-war-office-building. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
- "Old War Office, Whitehall." Historic England, historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1393496. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
- Soames, Mary. "Winston Churchill: His Life as a Painter." William Collins, 2018.
- "History of the Ministry of Defence." gov.uk, 5 Feb. 2013, www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence/about/history. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.
