| Selfridges flagship store | |
|---|---|
 Exterior of Selfridges flagship store (2010) | |
 Interactive map of Selfridges flagship store | |
| General information | |
| Status | Open |
| Type | Department store |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts withIonic columns |
| Location | 400Oxford Street,Marylebone,London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°30′51.04″N0°9′9.46″W / 51.5141778°N 0.1526278°W /51.5141778; -0.1526278 |
| Current tenants | Selfridges |
| Opened | 15 March 1909; 116 years ago (1909-03-15) |
| Cost | £400,000 |
| Client | Harry Gordon Selfridge |
| Owner | Selfridges Group |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel frame |
| Floor count | 9[a] |
| Floor area | 540,000 square feet (50,000 m2) of selling space |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Daniel Burnham |
| Structural engineer | Sven Bylander |
| Other designers |
|
| Website | |
| Store information | |
Historic site | |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 5 February 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1357436 |
TheSelfridges flagship store is aGrade II listeddepartment store onOxford Street inMarylebone,London, England, and is also the headquarters of theSelfridges department store chain. It was designed byDaniel Burnham forHarry Gordon Selfridge, and opened in 1909. The store spans 540,000 square feet (50,000 m2) of selling space, making it the second-largest department store in the United Kingdom, afterHarrods.[1] It was named the world's best department store in 2010,[2] and again in 2012.[3]
In 1906,Harry Gordon Selfridge travelled to England on holiday with his wife,Rose. Selfridge had made his fortune as an executive for theMarshall Field's department store in Chicago. Unimpressed with the quality of existing British retailers, he noted that London's large stores had not adopted the latest selling ideas used in the United States. Determined to create something new, he invested the then-staggering sum of £400,000 to build his own department store.[4] To secure the desired site, he gradually acquired a series ofGeorgian buildings located on the block bounded by Somerset,Wigmore, Orchard, andDuke Streets—an area that was, at the time, considered an unfashionable end ofOxford Street.[5]
When Selfridges opened in 1909, it introduced several features that framed shopping as a form of leisure rather than solely a commercial activity. Among the facilities added at different times were a library, reading and writing rooms, and a designated "silence room". These were intended to extend the duration of visits while also broadening the store's functions beyond retail. The expansion of department stores during this period paralleled wider social changes, particularly the greater independence of women, who were increasingly able to shop without a chaperone. Department stores consequently became venues where women could spend time outside the home, engage in social activity, and encounter goods that represented contemporary ideas of taste and luxury.[4]
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Selfridges department store was designed by American architect and urban plannerDaniel Burnham, a classicalBeaux-Arts proponent combined with modern building technique, who was also respected for his department store designs. He createdMarshall Field's, Chicago,Filene's in Boston,Wanamaker in Philadelphia, andGimbels andWanamaker's in New York City.[6] The building was an early example in the UK of the use of asteel frame, five storeys high with three basement levels and a roof terrace, originally laid out to accommodate 100 departments.[7]
American-trained Swedish structural engineerSven Bylander was engaged to build the structure's steel frame. As the building was one of the early examples of steel frame in the UK, Bylander had to first agree to appropriatebuilding regulations with theLondon County Council, requiring amendments to theLondon Building Act 1844.[8] Using as a basis the regulations which covered the similarly-designedLondon docklands warehouses, Bylander then agreed changes which enabled greater spans within lesser beam dimensions due to the use of steel over stone.[8] Bylander designed the entire supporting structure which was approved by the LCC in 1907,[8] with a steel frame based onblue brick pile foundations, supporting a steel frame which holds all of the internal walls and the concrete floors.[8] Bylander designed in additional supported internal walls, as LCC would not approve store areas above 450,000 cubic foot (13,000 m3) due to the then approvedfire safety regulations, many of which were removed 20 years later in light of new legislation.[8] Bylander submitted a 13-page fully illustrated account of the design of the building toConcrete and Constructional Engineering, which was published in 1909.[8] The work of Burnham and Bylander with LCC led to the passing of the LCC (General Powers) Act 1909, also called the Steel Frame Act, which gave the council the power to regulate the construction ofreinforced concrete structures.[8]
American architect Francis Swales, who trained at theÉcole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, was briefed to design the frontispiece. Aided by British architectsR. Frank Atkinson andThomas Smith Tait,[7][9] the final design was highly influenced byJohn Burnet's 1904 extension to theBritish Museum.[5] The steel supporting columns are hidden behindIonic columns, to create a facade which presents a visually uniform, classical, Beaux-Arts appearance.[10] The distinctive polychrome sculpture above the Oxford Street entrance is the work of British sculptorGilbert Bayes. The final frontage, through use ofcast iron window frames to a maximum size of 19 feet 4 inches (5.89 m) by 12 feet 0 inches (3.66 m), means that both the Oxford Street and Duke Street frontages are made up of more glass than stone or iron works.[8]
Opened on 15 March 1909,[11] the store was built in phases. The first phase consisted of the nine-and-a-half bays closest to the Duke Street corner,[12] a site of 250 feet (76 m) wide on Oxford Street by 175 feet (53 m) along Duke Street.[8] The floor heights averaged 15 feet (4.6 m), and the initial structure contained nine passenger lifts, two service lifts and six staircases.[8]
The main entrance and all of the bays to its left were added some 18 years after the store first opened, using a modified construction system.[10] The complete building opened fully in 1928, and resultantly through the use of supportingspandrel steel panels, the scale of the glass panes within the main entrance could be greatly enlarged.[5]
A scheme to erect a massive tower above the store post-World War I was never carried out. Harry Selfridge also proposed a subway link toBond Street station, and renaming it "Selfridges"; however, contemporary opposition quashed the idea.[citation needed]
The final design of the building completed in 1928, although classical in visible style and frontage, was thoroughly modern in its steel frame construction. In part due to new schools of architectural thought emerging apart from the classical schools, and in part due to the close proximity of World War I, the building was seen as the last of the great classical buildings undertaken within the UK. Although the UK was late in adoptingmodern architecture only from the 1930s onwards,[13] by the mid-20th century many architects looked at Selfridges as if it were pre-historic in design, accepted just because Harry Gordon Selfridge wanted to advertise his business with a confident display of classicism in stone.[5]
There are two levels of basement beneath the lower-ground shop floor: the 'sub' and the 'sub-sub'. Combined, these descend 60 metres (200 ft) below street level.[5][14] These two areas are then split into two more areas: the dry sub and sub-sub, and their "wet" equivalents.[5][14] The wet area is beneath the original nine-and-a-half bays closest to the Duke Street corner of the 1909 building. The "dry" is under the rear of the building, known as the SWOD after the surrounding four streets – Somerset, Wigmore, Orchard and Duke – that once enclosed it.[5][14][15]
DuringWorld War II after the entry of the United States into the conflict, from 1942 the dry sub-sub SWOD was used by theUnited States Army. The building had one of the only securetelex lines, was safe from bombing, and was close to theUS Embassy onGrosvenor Square. Initially used by U.S. GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower, the commander ofSHAEF, it later housed 50 soldiers from the 805th Signal Service Company of theUS Army Signal Corps,[15] who installed aSIGSALY code-scrambling device connected to a similar terminal in thePentagon building. The first conference took place on 15 July 1943. Initial visitors included Prime MinisterWinston Churchill, to enable secure communications with thePresident of the United States, although later extensions were installed to both10 Downing Street and theCabinet War Rooms.[16] Rumours persist of a tunnel built from Selfridges to the embassy so that personnel could move between the two in safety, with interrogation cells for prisoners hewn from the resultant uneven space available.[14]
During restoration work in 2002,[10] the scaffold was used to carry the largest photographic artwork ever produced, 60 feet (18 m) tall by 900 feet (270 m) long and weighing two tons. Created bySam Taylor-Wood, it showed a gathering of well-known pop and cultural figures of the time, includingSir Elton John.
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The new store opened to the public on 15 March 1909, employing 1,400 staff,[8] setting new standards for the retailing business.
At that time, women were beginning to enjoy the fruits of emancipation by wandering unescorted around London. A canny marketer, Selfridge promoted the radical notion of shopping for pleasure rather than necessity. The store was extensively promoted through paid advertising. The shop floors were structured so that goods could be made more accessible to customers. There were elegant restaurants with modest prices, a library, reading and writing rooms, special reception rooms for French, German, American and "Colonial" customers, a First Aid Room, and a Silence Room, with soft lights, deep chairs, and double-glazing, all intended to keep customers in the store as long as possible. Staff members were taught to be on hand toassist customers, but not too aggressively, and tosell the merchandise.Oliver Lyttleton observed that, when one called on Selfridge, he would have nothing on his desk except one's letter, smoothed and ironed.[18]
Selfridge also managed to obtain from theGPO the privilege of having the number "1" as its own phone number, so anybody had to just dial 1 to be connected to Selfridge's operators.[citation needed]
The roof terrace hosted terraced gardens, cafes, a mini golf course and an all-girl gun club. The roof, with its views across London, was a common place for strolling after a shopping trip and was often used for fashion shows. As with much of central London during World War II, Selfridges suffered serious damage on a number of occasions during the 57 nights of theLondon Blitz from 7 September 1940, and in 1941 and 1944.[19] After the heavy bombing of theWest End on 17/18 September 1940 by a combined force of 268Heinkel He 111 andDornier Do 17 bombers[19] – after which the store'sArt Deco lifts were out of service until post-WW2, and the signature window was shattered[19][20] – Harry had the ground floor windows bricked-up.[19][20] The roof terrace reopened again for the first time since in July 2011, for a promotional event staged byTruvia as part of their UK launch.[21] In Summer 2012,Bompas & Parr designed an art installation themed as "The Big British Tea Party", which included a cake-themed 9-holecrazy golf course, accompanied by aDaylesford Organic sponsoredtea house.[22]
The bomb on 17 April 1941 destroyed only the Palm Court Restaurant, venue for the rich and famous.[19] However, at 11 pm on 6 December 1944, aV-2 rocket hit the Red Lion pub on the corner of Duke Street and Barrett Street. A canteen in the SWOD basement area (see above) was massively damaged, with eight American servicemen killed and 32 injured, as well as ten civilian deaths and seven injuries.[19] In the main building, ruptured water mains threatened SIGSALY, and while the Food Hall was the only department that did not need cleaning, Selfridges' shop-front Christmas tree displays were blown into Oxford Street.[19][20] By 2010, only three of the four major pre–World War II Oxford Street retailers—Selfridges,House of Fraser andJohn Lewis—survive in retail, whileBourne & Hollingsworth andPeter Robinson (acquired in 1946 byBurton's), are no longer trading.[19] Selfridges is the only retailer still trading in the same building, which still bears the scars of war damage, while John Lewis has moved.[19] Bourne & Hollingsworth was located in the now closed Plaza Shopping Centre at No 120, while Peter Robinson is nowNiketown at No 200–236.[19]
A Milne-Shawseismograph was set up on the third floor in 1932, attached to one of the building's main stanchions, unaffected by traffic or shoppers. It recorded the Belgian earthquake of 11 June 1938 which was also felt in London. At the outbreak of war, the seismograph was moved from its original site near thePost Office to another part of the store. In 1947, the seismograph was given to theBritish Museum.
Parts of Selfridges were damaged in theOxford Street bombing in 1974 committed by theProvisional Irish Republican Army. The IRA planted other bombs too – on 21 February 1976 inside the store, injuring five people;[23] just outside the store on Oxford Street on 28 August 1975, injuring seven;[24] and inside the store on 29 January 1977, setting the building ablaze and causing an injury.[25]
In 2002, Selfridges was awarded the London Tourism Award for visitors' favourite London store. Selfridges was named world's best department store in 2010,[2] and again in 2012.[3] It claims to contain the UK's largest beauty department,[15] and Europe's busiest doorway which siphons 250,000 people a week past theLouis Vuitton concession on to Oxford Street.[15]
Selfridges' 27 Oxford Street windows have become synonymous with the brand, and to a certain degree have become as famous as the store and the Oxford Street location itself. The windows consistently attract tourists, designers and fashionistas alike to marvel at the current designs and styling and fashion trends.[26]
Selfridges has a history of bold art initiatives when it comes to the window designs. When the building opened, Harry Selfridge initiated a "signature" window which was signed by all of the stars and famous people who came to shop at the store. This was cracked in the first bombing during the blitz, and was never restored.[19]
Today, thevisual merchandising team calculate that 20% of business-winning trade is from the windows.[15] WhenAlannah Weston became Creative Director after the purchase by her family in 2003, she approached artistAlison Jackson to put her trademarkTony Blair andDavid Beckham lookalikes in the windows. The resultant display brought traffic to a standstill, with theMetropolitan Police finally insisting they stop the project because it was clogging up Oxford Street.[15]
Since 2002, the windows have been photographed by London photographer Andrew Meredith and published in magazines such asVogue,Dwell,Icon,Frame Magazine,Creative Review,Hungarian Stylus Magazine,Design Week,Harper's Bazaar,New York Times, WGSN and much more including worldwide press, journals, blogs and published books all over the world.[26]
In 1941, Selfridge retired. In 1951 the store was acquired by the Liverpool-basedLewis's chain of department stores, which was in turn taken over in 1965 by theSears Group owned byCharles Clore.[27] Expanded under the Sears group to include branches in Oxford, Manchester and Birmingham,[28] in 2003 the chain was acquired by Canada'sGalen Weston for £598 million.[29]
In 2011, the Weston family bought 388–396 Oxford Street, which is located immediately to the east of the Selfridges building across Duke Street, on which fashion chainFrench Connection has a lease until 2025.[30]
In early 2012, Selfridges commissioned Italian architectRenzo Piano (responsible for London'sThe Shard skyscraper), to work on an extension to the 1909 department store. The project could feature a hotel as well as office space, or additional retail space.[31]
In December 2012, Selfridges acquired the 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) Nations House office building from Hermes, which is located immediately behind its Oxford Street store in Wigmore Street, for around £130m.[31]
