Warehouse and Showroom, Wood Street, London EC2

28 Wood Street, London EC2, was built during the early years of the present (20th) century. It is now held on lease from the Prudential Assurance Co. by a firm of hosiery wholesalers. The premises have been acquired for use as the London warehouse and showroom. At present the firm’s requirements are met by the occupation of the three lower floors, and the upper floors are let on short leases until such time as they may be required. The basement is used for the receipt and despatch of goods. The showroom occupies the front part of the ground floor; the rear section being used for stock and the directors’ office. The first floor provides further accommodation for stock and general offices.

EXTERNAL FINISHES—Shopfront: anodized aluminium. Main entrance door, 3-in. armour plate frameless glass with anodized heads and shoes; handles, glass (coloured). Steps: terrazzo. Plinth: granite. Glass bricks under the display window.
PLAN AND INTERNAL FINISHES—The display window to Wood Street had its form determined by the fact that it would be wholly concerned with the display of hosiery, and the necessity for allowing as much daylight to penetrate into the showroom as is possible under the very restricted conditions imposed by one of the narrowest streets in the City of London. An inclined mirror has been incorporated in the roof of the portion of the window allotted to display to reflect the light from the sky into the showroom. For the display of such articles as ladies’ silk stockings a bright simple background was considered necessary and frosted mirrored glass has been used. The showroom has been arranged to provide accommodation for three small tables especially designed to carry a full range of samples at which a salesman makes sales to a prospective customer with a reasonable degree of privacy. Two showcases have been provided, in order to enable specimen shop window displays to be set up for demonstrations to customers, who consist chiefly of retail shopkeepers, and also for the display of showcards, etc., which are provided by the clients for display with their products. Besides the showcases, three niches have been formed for the display of goods under well-lighted conditions, but at the same time making them easy for close examination and handling. The walls have been lined with a veneer of burr elm.

Reference    Architects’ Journal 17 October 1940 page 313-317 and xvi