2 - 4 Cockspur Street, London



Architect
Date Built
 Foundation Stone laid July 1 1927
Location
 Cockspur Street near Trafalgar Square
Description
In 2015 this Portland stone clad building, at 2-4 Cockspur Street, near Trafalgar Square in London, reopened its doors after an extensive period of refurbishment.  The purpose of that refurbishment was to convert it into an extension to the adjacent Canada House bringing all of the Canadian High Commission's services under one roof for the first time in its history.



The building has maintained connections with Canada throughout its history.  It was built as the British headquarters of Canada's Sun Life Assurance Company.  The foundation stone was laid by Thomas Bassett Macaulay, of Sun Life Assurance, on Canada Day in 1927.  In 1939 it became the Canadian Military Headquarters in the UK, which remained the case until 1947.  Between 1940 and 1947 physical connections were established between it and Canada House next door.



In the years following WWII the building played a number of roles for the British government.  For a while it was the Department of Culture, Media & Sport and more recently the Serious Fraud Office.  The building is apparently listed but I have been unable to locate that listing.