The Very First Office Building In The World
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It was March and James Berkeley was under considerable pressure. His boss, George who happened to be the King of England, was upset that both Holland and France seemed to have a better navy. Germany was gaining as well.
It was cheaper to ship goods by water than over land, which had long been known. But King George the First was much more concerned with political power and the ability to grow his empire than shipping costs. The King didn’t just want to rule England, he wanted to dominate the known world.
As Spring approached in that year – 1722 – the King knew he had to get the Navy right for his ambitions to be fulfilled. But he had some disadvantages. The archipelago that is England was rainy, lacked natural resources and was largely irrelevant in world politics.
James was the top Navy guy – the Lord of the Admiralty – and he faced a huge challenge in just communicating with his team. The Royal Navy was growing quickly in terms of people and complexity. James was ramping things up quickly. He had to keep operations running smoothly but also oversee the design and construction of what would become the world’s greatest Navy for nearly 200 years.
Ye Old Starbucks
Over 90% of the workforce at the time were agriculture workers. When the remaining 10% of businesspeople, lawyers and military types needed to convene, they had three options. They could meet in the palaces of the ruling elite (stuffy), meet in each other’s homes (kids under foot), or coffee houses (loud).
James needed his leaders to meet and work with breathtaking speed to build the fleet. He faced another very specific challenge with his meetings–security.
Early in 1722, James had a then revolutionary idea. The Royal Navy could build its very own office building. At that time, buildings were built for religion, royalty, residential or retail. This new idea could really shake things up.
On March 5th James presented a proposal to the boss which would start a trend that continues today, nearly 300 years later. He asked for permission to build a three story, U-shaped brick building. It would have private offices for senior military officials and an ornate board room for the most secret of meetings. Thomas Ripley was commissioned as the architect for the project and created a likeness for the boss to see.
Not long after the proposal was presented James got some really good news. The King loved the idea and signed off.
Plans were drawn and a contractor hired. It took a while, but four years later in 1726 a building known with the functional name of “The Admiralty” was delivered.
The portfolio expanded over the years with other buildings being constructed in the same area.
Tally Ho
Great Britain continued to invest heavily in its Navy for centuries to come. Other European fleets rose and fell, but the Royal Navy dominated the world scene with remarkable success for centuries.
James pulled it off after all and his boss was most pleased. Likely a good thing to keep the King happy. Plus, James and the team could meet in the board room and stay out of the King’s palace with all of its hangers on. Loose lips sink ships.
Now known as “The Old Admiralty” building, the original building still exists – including the amazing board room. I guess they built them right back then – both ships and buildings.
James, worried about creating the world’s finest fleet of ships, ending up also commissioning a whole new architectural function that land lubbers would love: the office building.
I did lots of reading in order to tell this story. If you are interested, here are some of my sources:
