75 Years of Store Street

In the early 1950s, the Building Centre moved to 26 Store Street and found its permanent home. In postwar Britain, the race was on to rebuild the nation and Building Centre was at the forefront of this drive.

It was the go-to place for the built environment often partnering with the Architectural Association and A.R.I.B.A. Alongside these architectural giants, leading architects of the time made a beeline for the Centre to see and be seen.

A team of just 4 people ran the popular 'Information Desk', which handled an average of 113 inquiries a day. The team accumulated some 50,000 trade brochures and provided advice and specifications to callers and visitors around the UK. It had a monthly mailing list of 6,000 who were interested in keeping informed of the Building Centre business.

In this exhibition we celebrate the exhibitions, world events and buildings that made that first decade memorable!