MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN

MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN, 99-121, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8

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Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1222781
Date first listed:: 16-Jan-1981
List Entry Name:: MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN
Statutory Address:: MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN, 99-121, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8

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Date:: 2002-05-06
Reference:: IOE01/07160/06
Rights:: © Mr Adam Watson. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1222781
Date first listed:: 16-Jan-1981
Date of most recent amendment:: 21-Sep-1998
List Entry Name:: MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN
Statutory Address 1:: MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN, 99-121, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: MARKS AND SPENCERS, BRITISH HOME STORES AND THE ROOF GARDEN, 99-121, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Kensington and Chelsea (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ 25622 79527

Details

TQ 2579 NE KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8 (South side) Nos.99-121 (Odd) 249/31/18 Marks and Spencers, British Home Stores and The Roof Garden

16-JAN-1981 (Formerly listed as: KENSINGTON HIGH STREET W8 (South side) Nos.99-121 (Odd) DERRY AND TOMS AND BRITISH HOME STORES)

II*

Former departmental store and garden roof, currently subdivided stores, offices and roof garden. 1933, architect Bernard George with floor layouts made by CA Wheeler of Chicago and roof garden opened in 1938 under the overall supervision of Bernard Jones. Art Deco style. Steel-framed building faced on the front and sides with Portland stone, with bronze glazing bars and shopfront, the rear of brick in Flemish bond with Portland stone dressings. Symmetrical facade of seven storeys and basement 9 bays wide, 2:5:2, divided by staircase bays. Seventh floor set back with six flagpoles. Fluted pilasters rising between windows from first to fourth storeys. Entablature above, with top storey in frieze, with sculptured metopes between the reliefs of productive labour, and openwork metal grilles over windows with figures representing signs of the zodiac by Walter Gilbert. Openwork grilles to staircase have stone panels with floral design and initials DT (for Derry and Toms). Windows are casements with small bronze panes and have Art Deco bronze panels between floors. Splayed balconettes above first floor, which also have carved stone floral motif panels. Bronze trimmed canopies to two entrances beneath staircase bays. Shopfronts mainly late C20 but some but some original bronze panels survive. Elevation to Derry Street of 6:4 bays in similar style divided by a staircase bay. Interior retains original decor of fifth floor Rainbow Room, originally restaurant, with oval glazed ceiling dome and columns. Roof garden has one storey sun pavilion with some extension and refenestration of late C20. Spanish Garden has concrete twisted columned pergola, two storey facade of Spanish Style house with pantile roof and metal balconies, panelled door, concrete octagonal fountain base and flowerbed edging with tiles. Tudor garden has c1938 four-centred stone arches, brick walls and concrete sculptured panels. The Woodland Garden includes a stone bridge of three round-headed arches with keystone and a Japanese wooden bridge of one arch. Derry and Toms was one of the first London stores to be planned on the American horizontal system, whereby each floor was made as open as possible, safety against fire ensured by keeping floors wholly separate without well holes or central staircases. Originally a further floor had been planned but this was not possible a s fire engine ladders of the time could only reach six floors. A roof garden was built instead. Although Selfridges and Barkers already had roof gardens, the Derry and Toms roof garden was planned to out do all others. It was the largest roof garden in the world when built and is still the largest roof garden in Europe.

("A garden in the Sky", DW Peel 1960. "Derry and Toms Roof Garden" Stephen Scrivens 1976. "Survey of London" pp 93-97. BOE London 3: North West p502)

Listing NGR: TQ2562279527

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 418201
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Peel, D W, A Garden in the Sky, (1960)
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: London 3 North West, (1991), 502
Scrivens, S, Derry and Toms Roof Garden, (1976)
'Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England' in Survey of London, (), 93-97

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.