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The Swiss Centre, Leicester Square, London. The Swiss Centre was a popular
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Memory Lane
The Swiss Centre, Leicester Square, London. The Swiss Centre was a popular
The Swiss Centre, Leicester Square, London.
The Swiss Centre was a popular tourist attraction on the edge of Coventry Street, London, at its junction with Leicester Square. The 14 storey building was both a showcase for Switzerland and its products, and a trade and commercial centre that featured a Swiss bank, tourist office, a chocolate and souvenir shop, a Swissair ticket office, a cafe and several Swiss themed restaurants which were located in the basement.
It was designed by David Aberdeen and built by John Laing and Son and Token Construction Company Limited between 1963 and 1966, to include a podium above the shops located at street level, and an 11 storey tower block with office floors, residential spaces, a penthouse, a viewing gallery and a plant room.
Over the years the connection with Switzerland faded out, several shops remained vacant, and British souvenir stalls took over the commercial spaces since the late nineties. The building did not fit its purpose anymore nor with the new intended design for an improved pedestrian square, and it was finally demolished in 2008.
Picture taken 7th October 1975
Arthur Sidey
Daily Mirror
Mirrorpix
London
England
75-5295
Media ID 21847694
© Mirrorpix
Design Leicester Square Switzerland 1975 Architcture
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the iconic Swiss Centre in Leicester Square, London. Once a beloved tourist attraction, this 14-storey building stood proudly on Coventry Street, at the junction with Leicester Square. Designed by David Aberdeen and constructed between 1963 and 1966 by John Laing and Son and Token Construction Company Limited, it showcased Switzerland and its products while serving as a bustling trade hub. The Swiss Centre boasted an array of amenities including a Swiss bank, tourist office, chocolate and souvenir shop, Swissair ticket office, cafe, and several basement restaurants exuding a charming Swiss ambiance. Its unique design featured a podium above street-level shops along with an impressive 11-storey tower block that housed offices, residential spaces, a penthouse suite offering breathtaking views of the cityscape below. However, as time passed by, the connection to Switzerland gradually faded away. Vacant shops were replaced by British souvenir stalls in the late nineties. With changing times came new plans for an enhanced pedestrian square that rendered the building obsolete for its intended purpose. Sadly in 2008 after years of standing tall as a symbol of cultural exchange between Britain and Switzerland since its completion in '66', The Swiss Centre met its demise through demolition. This nostalgic photograph taken on October 7th in 1975 by Arthur Sidey serves as both a reminder of this once vibrant landmark's glory days and an homage to architectural history etched into London's memory lane.
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