|
By November 1940, The Blitz, the Luftwaffe’s nightly bombing raid on
Britain, was halfway through. Thousands of lives were lost and
countless buildings damaged. One of these was the London Contracts
Office of Mitchell Engineering Limited.
Unable to find suitable
accommodation, Mitchell moved to Peterborough. The tracing staff
worked in Market Chambers, while technicians and draughtsmen
squeezed into Fengate House. The decade that followed the war saw
Britain trying to adjust back to normality. With large scale
rebuilding programmes, matched with rapid growth in technical
advancement, it was time for Mitchell to plan a purpose-built office
block.
A plot was found on the southern
embankment alongside Town Bridge. Located opposite the old Customs
House, this spot had been left untidy and derelict ever since the
bridge was built in 1934. Despite the complexities of a river
location, consulting engineer Walter C. Andrews suggested the use of
steel framework and reinforced concrete floors would allow the
building to be completed relatively quickly.
Bridge House was designed by
architects Howard V. Lobb and Partners, who had been behind the
Royal Festival Hall and later the British Government Pavilion at
Expo ‘58. The colour of bricks was chosen to avoid clashing with
nearby buildings. The height set to avoid affecting the view of the
Cathedral. Any future extensions would move outwards towards East
Station Road.
The 26-by-150 foot window alongside
the river, allows the maximum of natural light to enter the drawing
office. Cork flooring and double-glazing reduces heat loss and
traffic noise, while photocells on the roof turn the lights on when
it gets dark. It lights up in rows, starting with the furthest from
the window.
Providing radiant heat, similar to
that given off by the sun, radiators and pipes are hidden from view.
In the drawing office they are located above the acoustic ceiling
installed by Frenger Ceilings Ltd, while pipes in other parts of the
building are embedded in the floor.
The sculptor Arthur J.J. Ayres
designed the 25-by-50 foot Portland stone mural, which runs
alongside the bridge. It was chosen during a competition judged by
Roy Mitchell, managing director, his father F.G “Tiny” Mitchell,
chairman of the Mitchell group of companies, Gilbert Ledwood,
chairman of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and Howard V.
Lobb. The mural was believed to be the largest bas-relief in England
at that time. It features historical figures from the world of
science and engineering, such as Archimedes and Newton, grouped
around the sun, “the source of all power” and three men representing
modern industry – administration, design and works. Roy Mitchell
explained that the competition was devised “to foster a closer
relationship between art and industry.”
Ayres carved the mural in-situ with
assistance from son James, wife Elsa and daughter Jane. He was a
fellow of the Royal Society of British sculptors and his work adorns
buildings as grand as Westminster Abbey. His relief above an
entrance to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery,
London bears the same Horace Mann quote as the Bridge House mural –
“every addition to true knowledge is an addition to human power.”
The mural gave Ayres “a fresh
approach to a modern problem” as the thin walls meant that the
“sculpture was executed in a different manner.”
Despite a late delivery of steel
followed by the steel erectors working to rule, Bridge House,
constructed by subsidiary Mitchell Construction Co, opened for
business in November 1955, a year after work began. It united 200
staff members for the first time since 1940. An agreement with the
Ministry of Transport, keen to reduce congestion, meant that the
front entrance was for the sole use of visitors. Staff would enter
via the car park at the rear.
Under managing director David
Morrell, Mitchell Construction helped the group go from strength to
strength, until a contract to build a hydroelectric power station on
the North Bank of the Zambesi River signalled the beginning of the
end. Awarded the contract in 1971, it became apparent that the
ground conditions were poorer than described on the tender document.
Almost 90 lives were lost, work
slowed down and costs rose. By the time Mitchell had called in the
receivers, its costs were alleged to be over £200k a month. Mitchell
Construction became part of Tarmac Construction and, despite
Morrell’s attempts to sue those he felt had deliberately sabotaged
the project, the name faded from view.
After Bridge House was vacated,
British Telecom took it over. Bosses covered up “Mitchell
Engineering Limited” from the mural, until Peterborough City Council
occupied the building in the early 90s, bringing the name back into
view.
While the council still own the
property, using it to accommodate their transport, engineering,
environmental and public protection teams, the building closed to
the public in February when the planning department moved to Bayard
Place.
The building falls within the South
Bank development area, which proposes the construction of leisure
facilities, offices and zero carbon homes. No date is set for the
closure of Bridge House. And while no firm proposals have been drawn
up, there is a possibility that the site will be used for a hotel.
If the site is redeveloped,
structural engineers Waldeck Associates say that the mural can be
saved. John Peach, leader of Peterborough City Council, wants it
moved to a prominent location, possibly a school or shopping
complex. Wherever it ends up, the mural will ensure that the memory
of Peterborough’s past as a home technological innovation will live
on. |
