This image was taken on the day of the topping out ceremony for one of the 10-storey blocks.
Work on the Paternoster development was carried out in a joint venture by John Laing Construction Limited, Trollope and Colls Limited, and George Wimpey and Company Limited. The development consisted of a series of office blocks, a shopping precinct, an extensive piazza and a three-level car park. On Tuesday 28th May, a 10-storey block was topped out at the Paternoster development. A copper cylinder containing copies of The Times, Financial Times, Team Spirit, and a list of signatures of those working on the site was lifted to the roof by N C Macnamara. There it was embedded in the final pour of concrete. The guests were unable to watch the final pour of concrete at roof level due to heavy rain, and instead they stood inside the building and watched the proceedings on closed circuit television. On the same day as the topping out ceremony, another 10-storey block, Courtenay House, was officially handed over to the Central Electricity Generating Board.
This image was catalogued as part of the Breaking New Ground Project in partnership with the John Laing Charitable Trust in 2019-20.
This is part of the Series: JLP01/08 John Laing Photographic Collection Black And White Negatives; within the Collection: JLP01 John Laing Photographic Collection
© Historic England Archive. John Laing Photographic Collection
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