New headquarters of the insurance company Lloyd's

"From my own experience, I know how important enlightened and engaged clients are in the 'design team' alongside architects and engineers... With a significant client like Lloyd’s, our consultations with the CEO, the development director, the board, and several members of other committees were literally an everyday affair... In a case like this, the resulting building reflects the client's perception and enlightenment." (Richard Rogers, 1991)
Lloyd’s of London is the largest insurance market in the world - a place where, rather than dealing with physical assets, one trades in insurance policies. Rogers' winning project was not based on architectural design but rather the establishment of a strategy for this key institution for the future. Due to growing space needs, Lloyd’s has moved twice in the last fifty years and wanted the new building to meet its needs for the next century. A crucial requirement was also that the insurance company could operate uninterrupted during the reconstruction, which was further complicated by the demolition of the existing building from 1928.
Rogers' office designed a building where meeting rooms can be contracted or expanded based on market needs. Communication between galleries around the central atrium occurs via escalators and lifts. To achieve maximum free space inside, service functions were placed around the perimeter of the building. The architectural form of Lloyd’s had a significant impact on its immediate surroundings, particularly on the heritage-listed Leadenhall Market. The resultant bundle of towers with machinery at their peaks resembles a Gothic cathedral combined with a factory. A lack of courage among parts of Lloyd’s management led to compromises in the furnishing of some interiors - the president's office is decorated in a pseudo-Gregorian style - but the spaces where regular clerks work are furnished in a modern style.
Lloyd’s is one of the largest architectural achievements of the 1980s and simultaneously elevated Richard Rogers among the world’s leading architects. One of the best examples of British high-tech equally works with technical efficiency and strong architectural expression. The result is a very romantic contribution to the London skyline, which has earned the nickname 'mechanical cathedral'.

More information
- the building is named after Edward Lloyd, who founded a coffee house here in 1688 where marine expedition insurance was sold.
- the first insurance office from 1928 was demolished to make way for the current building. The façade of the house at 12 Leadenhall Street was preserved and incorporated into Rogers' structure.
- on the eleventh floor is a historical gem in the form of a wood-paneled meeting room from the 18th century. It was designed by Robert Adam, who created the room in 1763 as a dining room for the Earl of Shelbourne at Bowood House (the older headquarters of the insurance company). The room was dismantled and moved piece by piece into the new glass and steel building.
- in the center of the building is a fourteen-story atrium 76 meters high. It houses the Lutine Bell from the French frigate La Lutine, which surrendered to the British in 1793. The bell is rung once for good news and twice for bad news. The large atrium can carry this sound throughout the building.
- Lloyd's on Lime Street was the first of three buildings that Rogers designed for Lloyd’s in the City of London. This was followed by 88 Wood Street (1998) and Lloyds Register of Shipping Building (2000).
- all service functions and escape routes are located in six external towers, which allowed for the creation of large and uninterrupted office spaces inside the building.
- the building rises from seven stories on the south side through a series of terraces to its highest point on the northern edge of the plot.
- for the first time in England, external glass lifts (a total of 12) were used here.
- 33,510 m³ of concrete, 30,000 m² of stainless steel cladding, 12,000 m² of glass surfaces, 5,000 m² of anodized aluminum, and 2,000 m² of painted steel were used in the structure.
- 1400 kilometers of window seals and 80 km of pipes and tubing were used in the building.
- external triple glazing with a solar protective filter and ventilated air cavity allows for reflecting artificial light back into the interior. This solution helps reduce light consumption after sunset.
- the building received three awards in 1987 (Trust Award, Concrete Society Commendation, and Financial Times 'Architecture at Work' Award). The following year, it was awarded the prestigious RIBA Award and the Eternit 8th International Prize for Architecture.