The Post Office Tower London

Designed and produced by Holdens Press Bureau Ltd for GPO

Softcover, illustrated.


The Post Office Tower is the tallest building in London and its finest vantage point. But London's outstanding landmark is a symbol of the modern Post Office; a science-based industry using the most refined techniques in the telephone, teleprinter, television and computer communication so necessary for modern society.
It is a focal point of communication channels from all quarters of Great Britain and from overseas.

lts height is essential. It must carry aerials high above all obstructions to provide a clear path for about 150,000 simultaneous circuits, carrying telephone conversations, television programmes and computer data between London and the rest of the country. The alternative to using these clear radio paths would have been the disruption and expense of major cable-laying works through the crowded London streets and out into the country beyond.

The Tower itself, which was designed by the Ministry of Public Building and Works, is a triumph of modern architecture and engineering, a unique structure in which more than 13,000 tons of steel, concrete and glass have been shaped to meet the needs of progress. Slender and practical, it symbolises the technical and architectural skillIs of this modern age.

Such a tall landmark would meet people's natural desire to climb and look about them. So, near the top, there are viewing platforms from which one may see London and beyond laid out almost as a map, with huge office blocks looking like match box buildings.

A high-speed lift carries the visitor skywards at a thousand feet a minute. There is a revolving restaurant where the diner can enjoy an ever-changing view.
Why was the Tower built? How was it built and how does it work? The story is told in words and pictures on the pages that follow.