Lloyd's Building

Designed by Richard Rogers, who co-designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Lloyds building was opened by the Queen in 1986. The building took eight years to build and has won many awards for its post-modern design. The interior of the ground floor is a vast open space which accommodates the 62 companies who trade here. The central atrium rises over 200 feet to a glass roof. All services, lifts, lavatories and staircases are located on the exterior of the building. The 12 glass lifts on the outside of Lloyds were the first of their kind in the UK and they offer great views over London.

Lloyd's is the world's leading insurance market, transacting billions of pounds of business every year. Lloyd's is not a company but a market of over 60 independent businesses and provides coverage for everthing from airlines and oil companies to the Olympic Games.

The famous Lutine Bell hangs in the Rostrum in the underwriting room on the ground floor. This bell has traditionally been rung to announce important announcements: once for bad news; twice for good news. The bell came from the wreck of HMS Lutine which sank in 1799 and was insured by Lloyds who had to pay out over £1million in the currency of the day.

The Lloyd's building is open to the public during London's Open House weekend in September only.