Congress House

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title: "Congress House" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["grade-ii*-listed-buildings-in-the-london-borough-of-camden", "grade-ii*-listed-office-buildings", "office-buildings-completed-in-1958", "trades-union-congress"] description: "Building in London, England" topic_path: "general/grade-ii-listed-buildings-in-the-london-borough-of-camden" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress_House" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Building in London, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox building"]

Field	Value
image	Westminster, Congress House - geograph.org.uk - 1402489.jpg
name	Congress House
caption	Congress House
location	Great Russell Street, Holborn, London WC1B 3LS, England
completion_date	1958
architect	David du Roi Aberdeen
embed	yes
designation1	Grade II* Listed Building
designation1_offname	Congress House, including forecourt and courtyard sculptures
designation1_date	29 March 1988
designation1_number
::

|image = Westminster, Congress House - geograph.org.uk - 1402489.jpg |image_size = |name = Congress House |status = |caption = Congress House |location = Great Russell Street, Holborn, London WC1B 3LS, England |coordinates = |roof = |antenna_spire = |floor_count = |completion_date = 1958 |floor_area = |client = |architect = David du Roi Aberdeen | embed = yes | designation1 = Grade II* Listed Building | designation1_offname = Congress House, including forecourt and courtyard sculptures | designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 29 March 1988 | delisted1_date = | designation1_partof = | designation1_number =

Congress House is the headquarters of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a British organisation that represents most of the UK's trade unions. It is also an events venue, Congress Centre.

In 1948, David du Roi Aberdeen won an architectural competition to design the new TUC headquarters building in Great Russell Street, London. Staff began to move into the offices in 1956. Congress House was officially opened on 27 March 1958 along with the unveiling of a giant pietà-style statue of a woman holding her dead son. Carved in place in the internal courtyard by Jacob Epstein, it was intended as a memorial to the dead trade unionists of both world wars.

The front of the building is dominated by a bronze sculpture by Bernard Meadows representing the spirit of trade unionism with the strong helping the weak. The main facing material of the façade is polished grey Cornish granite.

Congress House was one of the earliest post-war buildings to be listed, at Grade II*, in 1988.

In 2015, an ETFE roof was installed over the internal courtyard which enabled the glass roof of the conference centre below to be reinstated and affords protection to the Epstein statue.

In 2018, an extensive redevelopment of the rear of the building was carried out, creating a new entrance, reception, offices and staff facilities. Known as 'The Rookery', the new development includes a public artwork by German artist Eva Berendes inspired by traditional trade union badges.

Gallery

File:Holborn (Bloomsbury) Great Russell Street Congress House (28025736532).jpg|Junction of Great Russell Street and Dyott Street File:Holborn (Bloomsbury) Dyott Street Congress House (27513906634).jpg|Dyott Street side of Congress House File:"The Spirit of Brotherhood", Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1 (geograph 5470557).jpg|Bernard Meadows' statue 'The Spirit of Brotherhood' File:Interior detail of Congress House, Great Russell Street (1) (geograph 5316360).jpg|Jacob Epstein's "Pietà" in the courtyard of Congress House File:TUC Congress Center (243432969).jpg|The original space frame ceiling of Congress Hall, in the Congress Centre.

References

References

1. [http://www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-7646-f0.cfm] {{webarchive. link. (December 5, 2010)
2. "The Union Makes Us Strong – TUC History Online". Unionhistory.info.
3. (1956-10-12). "Pleasing facade of the new T.U.C. building". [[The Times]].
4. "Congress House".
5. {{NHLE
6. Architects, Hugh Broughton. "TUC Congress House {{!}} Hugh Broughton Architects".
7. "Home".
8. Architects, Hugh Broughton. "TUC Congress House {{!}} Hugh Broughton Architects".
9. "Eva Berendes".
10. "Home".

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