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Congress House

Coordinates: 51°31′03″N 0°07′43″W / 51.51750°N 0.12861°W / 51.51750; -0.12861
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Congress House
Congress House
Map
General information
LocationGreat Russell Street, Holborn, London WC1B 3LS, England
Completed1958
Design and construction
Architect(s)David du Roi Aberdeen

Congress House is the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a British organisation that represents most of the UK's trade unions.

In 1948, David du Roi Aberdeen won an architectural competition to design the new TUC headquarters building in Great Russell Street, London.[1] Staff began to move into the offices in 1956 and the building was officially opened in 1958. The building is Grade II* listed.[2]

Jacob Epstein's 'Pieta' in the courtyard of the Trades Union Congress headquarters, Congress House
Jacob Epstein's 'Pieta' in the courtyard of the Trades Union Congress headquarters, Congress House

Congress House was officially opened on 27 March 1958 along with the unveiling of a giant ‘pieta’ style statue of a woman holding her dead son, carved in place in the internal courtyard by Jacob Epstein, it was intended as a memorial to the dead trade unionists of both world wars.[3].

The front of the building is dominated by a bronze sculpture by Bernard Meadows representing the spirit of trade unionism with the strong helping the weak[1].

Congress House was one of the earliest post-war buildings to be listed at Grade II*, in 1988.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b [1] Archived 2010-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (477672)". National Heritage List for England.
  3. ^ "The Union Makes Us Strong - TUC History Online". Unionhistory.info. Retrieved 2015-07-26.
  4. ^ "Congress House". c20society. Retrieved 26 July 2015.

51°31′03″N 0°07′43″W / 51.51750°N 0.12861°W / 51.51750; -0.12861