James Bond’s office
Bond is no pen-pusher, but sometimes he has to go to the office. In a fortress-like building on the banks of the Thames next to Vauxhall Bridge, he is briefed by M, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service (often still given its old name: MI6). Although the secret service has been carrying out operations abroad since 1909, the government did not officially admit its existence until 1994. Only one year later the organisation, or at least its architectural façade, was on public view thanks to a new headquarters designed by Terry Farrell which is known internationally through its appearances in Bond films such as »The World is Not Enough«.
Solid fences and a host of cameras protect the building. Green-tinted windows – 27 different kinds of protective glass are said to have been used – give nothing away to prying eyes. A stacked-up design with projections and terraces mitigates the structure’s bulk and has drawn comparisons with a ziggurat or an Aztec temple. Nevertheless, the building has a massive, hostile, closed-off presence. Of course it is well protected against bugging and other dangers. In 2000 a hit by an anti-tank missile, probably fired by the »Real IRA«, failed to cause much damage. There are rumours of a tunnel beneath the Thames to government departments in Westminster.
Info
Address 85 Vauxhall Cross, Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP | Public Transport Vauxhall (Victoria Line) | Hours None, it goes without saying| Tip As British as Bond: the Tate Britain at the other end of Vauxhall Bridge is the repository of the national collection of British painting (daily 10am–6pm).
The riverbank location is a surprising and likeable touch. The long-distance Thames Path passes directly in front, allowing walkers to wave at the cameras. The perfect contrast to the smooth beige surfaces above are the rough stones of the quayside, covered in green water weed and adorned by lions’ heads with heavy iron rings in their jaws. At low tide you can walk across a gravel beach and see, directly beneath the MI6 building, a dark gate with hanging chains in the embankment wall. This is the outlet for storm flooding of an underground watercourse, the River Effra. The weak point that Bond’s enemies are seeking?
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