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| image_alt = View of Thames House from Millbank.
| image_caption = View of Thames House from [[Millbank]].
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| location_town = London
| location_country = United Kingdom
| coordinates = {{coord|51|29|38|N|0|07|32|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
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| current_tenants = [[MI5|Security Service (MI5)]]
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| renovation_date = 1990-19941990–1994
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'''Thames House''' is aan Grade II [[listedoffice building]]<ref>{{NHLE |num=1267604 |desc=Thames House (North and South Blocks with Bridge Link) |grade=II |accessdate=7 July 2013}}</ref> in [[Millbank]], [[London]], on the north bank of the [[River Thames]] adjacent to [[Lambeth Bridge]]. Originally used as offices by [[Imperial Chemical Industries]] (ICI), it has served as the headquarters of the United Kingdom's internal [[UK]] MI5|Security Service]] (commonly known as [[MI5]]) since December 1994. It also served as the London headquarters of the [[Northern Ireland Office]] (NIO) until March 2013.
 
==History==
[[File:Imperial Chemical House 2.jpg|thumb|Thames House on the left; Imperial Chemical House on the right.|left]]
The building was constructed in 1929–30 by [[Mowlem|John Mowlem & Co]] on riverside land cleared after the disastrous [[1928 Thames flood]] severely damaged run-down residential properties. It was built to designs by Sir [[Frank Baines]], of the Government's [[Office of Works]]. It is of design uniform with but not identical to [[Imperial Chemical House]] which is opposite it on the north side of [[Horseferry Road]]; while Imperial Chemical House wasremained exclusively for ICI until its exit, Thames House originally had variousadditional tenants alongside ICI throughout useshistory, including the London headquarters of International Nickel Ltd. Baines's design owes much to the 'Imperial Neoclassical' tradition of Sir [[Edwin Lutyens|Sir Edwin Lutyens]] and deliberately ties in with the Imperial design of Lambeth Bridge when it was redesigned from 1929. High up on the frontage are statues of [[St George]] and [[Britannia]] sculpted by [[Charles Sargeant Jagger]]. It was owned by Thames House Estates until it was sold to the British Government in 1994. Thames House Estates was jointly owned by ICI and [[Prudential plc|Prudential]] for many years and subsequently was wholly owned by ICI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2000/02/9900236.pdf|page=24|title=Thames House and Vauxhall Cross|publisher=National Audit Office|date=18 February 2000|accessdateaccess-date=21 November 2018}}</ref>
 
The building has been [[Listed building#England and Wales|listed Grade II]] on the [[National Heritage List for England]] since 16 January 1981.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1267604|desc=Thames House (North and South Blocks with Bridge Link)|access-date=14 April 2019}}</ref>
 
==MI5 and NIO headquarters==
[[File:Thames House - Millbank Entrance - London.jpg|thumb|left|The archway, showing the GMW infill extension built for MI5]]
Thames House was first used by [[MI5]] between 1934 and 1939: the service was located on the top floor of the South Block.<ref>{{cite book|last=Andrew|first=Christopher|title=The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5|page=[https://archive.org/details/defenceofrealmau0000andr/page/134 134]|publisher=Allen Lane|year=2009|isbn=978-0-713-99885-6|url=https://archive.org/details/defenceofrealmau0000andr/page/134}}</ref>
The dispersed and dilapidated state of its previous buildings at [[140 Gower Street]] (headquarters) and [[Curzon Street|Curzon Street House]] (registry, administration and technical services)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.ws/foxeye121/curzon.htm|title=The Secret Architecture of London|publisher=Geocities|accessdate=18 February 2017}}</ref> led MI5 to seek a new home in the late 1980s. The [[MI6|Secret Intelligence Service]] (MI6) were engaged in a simultaneous hunt for new headquarters and consideration was given to co-location of the two. However this proposal was abandoned, due to the lack of buildings of adequate size (existing or proposed) and the security considerations of becoming a single target for attacks. At the same time, Thames House, which was largely used as government offices by then, became vacant when the [[Department of Energy (United Kingdom)|Department of Energy]] left the southern half in 1989 and it was decided to convert and refit much of it for MI5's use. The [[GMW Architects|GMW Partnership]] undertook the design and Mowlem carried out the necessary reconstruction work from 1990, which included part-infilling of the building's distinctive archway.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sheldon |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Sheldon, Baron Sheldon |title=Thames House and Vauxhall Cross |url=http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2000/02/9900236.pdf |accessdate=7 July 2013 |date=June 1993 |publisher=[[National Audit Office (United Kingdom)|National Audit Office]] |location=London |isbn=0105566691 |page=43}}</ref> The refurbished Thames House was officially opened on 30 November 1994 by the then Prime Minister, <!-- Not knighted until 2005. -->[[John Major]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about-us/who-we-are/thames-house.html |title=Thames House |publisher=Security Service |accessdate=7 July 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130808114227/https%3A//www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about%2Dus/who%2Dwe%2Dare/thames%2Dhouse.html |archivedate=8 August 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>▼
 
▲The dispersedservice andrelocated dilapidatedto state[[Blenheim Palace]] for much of itsthe previousSecond buildingsWorld atWar and then moved to [[140Leconfield Gower StreetHouse]] (headquarters)after andthe war before relocating to [[Curzon140 Street|CurzonGower Street House]] (registry,in administration and technical services)1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.ws/foxeye121/curzon.htm|title=The Secret Architecture of London|publisher=Geocities|accessdateaccess-date=18 February 2017}}</ref> The dispersed and dilapidated state of its previous buildings at 140 Gower Street (headquarters) and [[Curzon Street]] House (registry, administration and technical services) led MI5 to seek a new home in the late 1980s. The [[MI6|Secret Intelligence Service]] (MI6) were engaged in a simultaneous hunt for new headquarters and consideration was given to co-location of the two. However this proposal was abandoned, due to the lack of buildings of adequate size (existing or proposed) and the security considerations of becoming a single target for attacks. At the same time, Thames House, which was largely used as government offices by then, became vacant when the [[Department of Energy (United Kingdom)|Department of Energy]] left the southern half in 1989 and it was decided to convert and refit much of it for MI5's use. The [[GMW Architects|GMW Partnership]] undertook the design and Mowlem carried out the necessary reconstruction work from 1990, which included part-infilling of the building's distinctive archway.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sheldon |first=Robert |authorlinkauthor-link=Robert Sheldon, Baron Sheldon |title=Thames House and Vauxhall Cross |url=http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2000/02/9900236.pdf |accessdateaccess-date=7 July 2013 |date=June 1993 |publisher=[[National Audit Office (United Kingdom)|National Audit Office]] |location=London |isbn=0105566691 |page=43}}</ref> TheAn refurbishedautomated Thamesminiature Housemonorail waswithin officiallythe openedbuilding onbrings 30files Novemberup 1994 byfrom the thenbasement Primeof Minister,Thames <!--House Notto knightedstaff untilworking 2005. -->[[John Major]]within.<ref name="Andrew2012">{{cite web book|urlauthor=http://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about-us/who-we-are/thames-house.htmlChristopher Andrew|title=ThamesThe HouseDefence |publisher=Securityof Servicethe |accessdate=7Realm: JulyThe 2013Authorized |deadurl=yesHistory of MI5|archiveurlurl=httphttps://webarchivebooks.nationalarchivesgoogle.gov.ukcom/20130808114227/https%3A//www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about%2Dus/who%2Dwe%2Dare/thames%2Dhouse.htmlbooks?id=njWH7cW3aLAC|date=26 April 2012|archivedatepublisher=8Penguin August 2013Books Limited|dfisbn=dmy978-all 0-7181-9744-5|page=778}}</ref>
 
The refurbished Thames House was officially opened on 30 November 1994 by Prime Minister [[John Major]].<ref name="Andrew2012"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about-us/who-we-are/thames-house.html |title=Thames House |publisher=Security Service |access-date=7 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130808114227/https%3A//www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about%2Dus/who%2Dwe%2Dare/thames%2Dhouse.html |archive-date=8 August 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
 
The building was shared with the [[Northern Ireland Office]] (NIO) until that organisation moved to 1 [[Horse Guards Road]] alongside [[HM Treasury]] and the [[Cabinet Office]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/northern-ireland-office-moves-into-the-heart-of-whitehall |title=Northern Ireland Office moves into the heart of Whitehall |date=5 March 2013 |publisher=Northern Ireland Office |accessdateaccess-date=7 July 2013}}</ref>
 
On 1 June 2007, the building (other than the steps that give access to it) werewas designated as a protected site for the purposes of Section 128 of the [[Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005]]. The effect of the act was to make it a specific criminal offence for a person to [[Trespass in English law|trespass]] into the building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trespass-on-protected-sites-sections-128-131-of-the-serious-organised-crime-and-police-act-2005|title=Home Office Circular 018 / 2007 (Trespass on protected sites -– sections 128-131128–131 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005)|last=|first=|date=22 May 2007|website=GOV.UK|publisher=Home Office|language=en|access-date=18 July 2017}}</ref>
 
==Popular culture==
 
Up untilUntil its seventh series, the [[BBC]] television series ''[[Spooks (TV series)|Spooks]]'' used the exterior and lobby of the [[Freemasons' Hall, London|Freemasons' Hall]] in [[Great Queen Street]] as a location for the show's portrayal of Thames House. Since then Thames House has been used, although Freemasons' Hall is still used to show the entrance to the building.<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/spooks/spooksexpert_questions_1.shtml|title=Spooks -– Expert questions|publisher=BBC|accessdateaccess-date=21 November 2018}}</ref>
 
The [[Torchwood: Children of Earth|third series]] of the [[BBC]] television series ''[[Torchwood]]'' used Thames House as the setting for the arrival of an alien species on Earth. The alien ambassador resides in an airtight tank filled with a suitable atmosphere on the building's fictitious thirteenth floor. It later massacres the entire staff of the building to threaten Earth into complying with its demands.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwholocations.net/stories/childrenofearthdayfour|title=Children of Earth Day Four|publisher=Doctor Who Locations|accessdateaccess-date=21 November 2018}}</ref>
 
<gallery widths=180>
File:Thames house exterior.jpg|Thames House as seen from the Lambeth side of the River ThamesMillbank
File:Thames house st george sculpture.jpg|Jagger's St. George figure on the exterior
File:Thames house britannia sculpture.jpg|Jagger's Britannia figure on the exterior
File:Thames House at Night.JPG|Thames House at night
File:Thames House and Lambeth Bridge, looking downriver.jpg|Thames House and Lambeth Bridge, looking downriver.
</gallery>
 
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*[[SIS Building]] – Headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
*[[The Doughnut]] – Headquarters of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
{{Commons and category|Thames House}}
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
{{London landmarks}}
{{coord|51|29|38.3|N|0|07|32.2|W|region:GB_scale:5000|display=title}}
 
[[Category:1928 establishments in England]]
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[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Grade II listed office buildings]]
[[Category:IntelligenceImperial agencyChemical headquartersIndustries]]
[[Category:Intelligence agency headquarters in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:MI5]]
[[Category:Millbank]]
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