SURREY HOUSE
Part of the Norwich 12 family of the city’s iconic heritage buildings, Surrey House is a spectacular piece of Edwardian architecture designed by local architect George Skipper. We open its doors to reveal more about its history.
Written by Sophie Harrison (Norwich HEART) I
t’s likely that you’ve walked past Surrey House on Surrey Street, the historic home of Aviva, many times but never given it a second thought. If that’s the case, then
next time you’re passing on a week day and have a spare half-hour, make sure you step inside to see just what this amazing building has to offer.
George Skipper was commissioned by The Norwich Union Life Insurance Society’s directors to design the building as ‘a splendid yet functional office space’. It was also important that the themes of insurance, protection and wellbeing were incorporated to reassure policy holders of the company’s strength and prosperity.
Built on the site of the house of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, construction began in 1900, yet it’s fairly hard to believe that this is an early 20th Century building – the style is Palladian outside the Entrance Hall, English Renaissance inside and throughout the building devices are used to make it appear older than it actually is.
Marble Hall’s domed ceiling is eleven metres in diameter, the motifs at its base being the individual features of the Life Society’s coat of arms: the winged hourglass represents the swift flight of time; the serpent and dove represent wisdom and purity; and the clasped hands represent friendliness.
Tucked away in one corner of Marble Hall is the grand staircase with its beautiful stained glass window. To the left of the staircase is a portrait of Thomas Bignold, who established the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society in 1797 and the Norwich Union Life Insurance Society in 1808.
REMARKABLE SIGHTS WITHIN SURREY
TAKING IN THE
HOUSE IT’S EASY TO FORGET THAT IT IS VERY MUCH STILL A WORKING BUILDING
Beyond Marble Hall, various
committee
rooms display their own elegance: an Adam fireplace and carved door frame (from the Earl of Surrey’s original mansion on the site) grace the East Committee Room, while the Board Room symbolises the grand
traditions of Surrey House – carved mahogany fittings, chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows are complemented by symbolic paintings of life, death, time and the benefits of protection.
Possibly the most stunning feature of Surrey House is the Main Hall, or Marble Hall. It features a rainbow of shades of Greek and Italian marble, from green-grey columns to red wall panels and alabaster – in fact, more than fifteen different types of marble in all.
Facts
Taking in the remarkable sights within Surrey House it’s easy to forget that it is very much still a working building and needs to function as an integral part of a busy office complex. Opened in 2006, the atrium at the rear of Surrey House
allows the building to meet the needs of a 21st Century business while retaining its historic character. Featuring two hundred panels of glass, the spectacular wall-to-wall skylight reveals the sky to staff and visitors, and the sixteen-metre domed roof arcs above an elevated walkway with informal meeting space and a staff restaurant below.
Despite Surrey House being a working building, it still welcomes visitors - during normal office hours (Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm), it’s possible to drop by and look around Marble Hall. In quiet periods the knowledgeable security staff will also be happy to show you some of the other rooms (provided they are not in use), but, to guarantee a guide is available and there will
Glass-domed ceiling
The chiming skeleton clock at the top of the grand staircase was made for the Great Exhibition in 1851. Marble making up the forty columns in the Main Hall was originally destined for Westminster Cathedral. An innovative Edwardian ‘air fountain’ in the Main Hall provides air conditioning. Interior decoration of the building cost more than £6,000 – a substantial sum for the period. The original Board Room table, housed in the West Committee Room, weighs two tons.
22 Fine City Magazine 2011 To advertise call 01362 288084
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