Evergreen House, Euston Road

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: 15 May 2011

Curtain-walled slab on a two-storey podium completed in 1970. A definite green vibe here. Even the roof of the podium is covered in greenery. The current name probably derives from the current occupants, a container-shipping company, unless they went looking for a building already called Evergreen. It was built as the Hearts of Oak Building for the eponymous friendly society (later a building society). The construction method used was innovative and not often repeated. In effect, the building was built from the top down rather than from the bottom up. Pre-stressed tendons were installed through the top of the core which held up the steel floors by means of an umbrella structure bolted through the core to form the roof. The floors were built up at a lower level and then jacked up one after the other and tied to hangers from this structure. Thanks to Jim Thorpe, who led the team installing the tendons, for this information. I believe a similar method was used for this building, hence the unusual demolition method: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/597645

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