Why Norwich’s saddest building still makes me smile - Sovereign House (HMSO)

Welcome to Sovereign House - possibly the most disliked building in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
The former headquarters of HMSO (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office), the massive concrete office block has stood empty and decaying since staff moved out in 1996.
Sovereign House will eventually be demolished - but not until a comprehensive redevelopment plan for the whole of Anglia Square is approved and goes ahead.
Built in the late 1960s, it is an example of Brutalist architecture and is now in a sorry state of repair. In this video, I talk about the history of Sovereign House and also look at another Norwich office building: Prospect House, built by Eastern Counties Newspapers in the 1960s. I worked there as a journalist for many years.
I also examine the Brutalist architecture, its rise in popularity and subsequent demise.
I’d like to thank Reg Walker, a former HMSO employee, for the wonderful old archive photos of the construction process. Reg runs a website called www.hmsoldies.org.uk.
Also thanks to Stuart McPherson, who runs an internet blog called www.themilecrossman.com, for information and photos.
Additional information has been taken from the website www.historyofNorfolk.com.
Recorded using an Apple iPhone 13 Mini in June 2022 with commentary by Ian M Bullock.
Thanks for watching and please comment below with your views.
What do you think of Sovereign House?

[@allancrotch2953]

Born in the Magdalen gates area 67 years ago I witnessed the destruction of this area of this fine city with this Anglia square and the flyover replacing the old Odeon cinema botolph street ect there was much that was run down in Norwich just after the war but I do not think it was worse then than now.Even as I witnessed the construction as a teen and as modern as it all looked it felt temporary compared to what it replaced.A great video Mr Bullock.

[@El_Loc0]

I cannot disacknowledge how hated the building is, but I personally love the whole of Anglia Square and it's brutalism. Partly perhaps, because I find relation to it and sympathy. For a style once loved and enjoyed, now looked upon as ugly. I heard a whole terrace neighbourhood was knocked down for it construction, memories destroyed to pave way for something new and ambitious. Yet, since it being built, the local authorities scarcely ever spent any further funds in upkeep and revamping it. Perhaps a failure in of itself, to not keep it up with modern standards (like the asbestos)... And if it wasn't the case, it may still be in use. It's kind of symbolic to wastefullness, and how love can change, or ruin something. The Soverign House has been around, and in disuse, since I was born. And it will always be somewhere I will remember fondly, as I've went here, pondered and enjoyed it's view at every stage of my life; granting me a love for brutalism. Perhaps its a "me" issue, but anything that will replace it: will never be quite as good, and will be a reminder of how human's recklessly abandon things. Though ultimately, I probably feel no different, to perhaps how the people who once lived in it's place originally felt. Though the only thing missing from this cycle, was love

[@nikonrulz]

Excellent and very interesting video. Thank you for it.

[@regwalker7420]

Excellent, Ian. Keep the memories alive! I was there, 1968-96. A much better building than many of those occupied by HMSO in London.

[@jamesten]

Nice to see, Ian. I'd never heard brutalist ascribed to "béton brut", but it fits! NYC has a famous brutalist museum building on Madison Avenue - the old Whitney Museum of American Art, for several years the Met-Breuer (named for Marcel Breuer the architect of the 1966 building), and now (still in development) an acquisition of the Frick Collection not far away. It's always been about modern art. It is frustrating that Sovereign House is so badly damaged by time and neglect. The 60's is still too recent for some to realize what may be lost. Nice thorough report, sir!

[@czllzmburner5841]

Great video, I love the HMSO! Will be very sad to see it go!

[@tom27wright]

Very interesting! I had always noticed it as an eyesore, but never known it’s history.

[@jamesgilbart2672]

As a student at UEA in the late seventies I felt that even when it was all functioning, Anglia Square and Sovereign House were completely out of character with the area and unfitting in a medieval city. Prospect House appears to have been built to a less ugly design and better quality materials so is worth maintaining. Yes, concrete stains horribly - the ziggurats at UEA look striking from the Broad but when viewed from the walkway, where everybody sees them, they are awful stained concrete slabs and this is only enhanced by the dustbins.

[@nickb6449]

Enjoyed this - you tell an interesting and thought provoking tale :)

[@autumnmatthews3179]

I worked in St Crispin's with Barclays Financial Planning before they made us redundant. We had a scheme where we had cheaper parking in the multi storey, they gave us fobs to use with the machines

[@Grimberian72]

great video! thru-out the years of me seeing the building and never knowing what its purpose was! and yes i too is getting older and most defiantly boring, for me this is something of value which i enjoy! good job!

[@christophergould8715]

Like the pount about the flint

[@underneonloneliness2]

One of my favourite brutalist buildings was Malthouse carpark which was demolished for Chapelfield mall. I thought the bomb sculpture on top was a unique feature.

[@TPerry2828]

I enjoy the variety of the content on your channel, and I found this particularly interesting. As a fairly regular visitor to Norwich I can't really fathom why run-down, unloved horrors like Anglia Square and Sovereign House haven't been razed to the ground. They're a real blight on what is otherwise a fine city.

[@TheIanBullock]

Thanks so much, Tim. Glad you enjoyed the video. Ian B

[@richardjames3446]

Good video. Someone should remove the top, put some new nice steel and glass floors up there, make it all nice and water tight, replace office space with apartments. There is plenty of money in Norwich and these would make nice homes. Re-do the street realm with luxuriant planting, new paving and some trees. Keep retail and replace the parking with a smart modern multi storey car park. (there is plenty of space). Job done

[@FlyboyHelosim]

Brutiful!

[@FinePineNorwichCarpenter]

I like this building so much that the picture of this building is on my website in contact page. This building is my symbol of norwich. Not the 2 lions, not the canary bird, not the mustard but this building :)

[@rabbitsrule9437]

I always thought that bronze thing was a trombone. Personally I’m not keen on the forum either. The brick is really 80s.

[@Analoguebubblebath89]

Beautiful building

[@TheIanBullock]

My latest KZbin video is about Victoria House, the Norwich office building used until recently by insurance firm Marsh. I’ve been really surprised by the interesting history of the building and its site. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iofbgYmja7CeZtE

[@hindolbittern]

I’ve just realised I’m probably fairly unusual in having worked both in Prospect House (for Eastern Counties Newspapers) and Sovereign House (for HMSO) in the 80s/90s. I would say that Prospect House was much more comfortable and practical to work in. It never seemed like a very functional building to me. I was only in Sovereign House for a short period, whilst our floor in St Crispins was refurbished. It was summer and Sovereign House was unbearably hot. But I did pop in throughout the time when both buildings were being used in tandem. I’d suggest Prospect House was better built. Incidentally, I started based in St Crispins and it was definitely built for HMSO. TSO was much later.

[@harryf1ashman]

I worked in the building in the late eighties and early nineties. I would love to go inside and have a look around. Are any urban explorers out there? It looks like the old computer room annex is being used by QD's and this is where I spent most of my time.

[@AmySoyka]

What type of computers were you using back then?

[@harryf1ashman]

@@AmySoyka ICL mainframes. This was a few years before the PC took over.

[@AmySoyka]

@@harryf1ashman Do you know what happened when the place closed down? Is it true they moved a lot of the equipment to Birmingham? Any idea if any of that old hardware is still running things behind the scenes as a legacy system today?

[@victoriaellis3261]

I love this building and the graffiti on it too. Such a pity it can't be sympathetically restored obviously with modern comfort as I accept it did not hold even temperatures! Its so much more stylish and interesting than most of the dull developments put up nowadays in my opinion. I imagine they will build another dull development when they do get round to redeveping Anglia Square and rip whatever soul and character it has from it.

[@mattw8332]

It's such a shame that a developer didn't take on this building in the late 1990s, as mentioned at the 24 minute mark, and refurbish the building. Either commercial or residential. As Sovereign House's days are numbered, the owners of the land could at least consider demolishing the building in readiness for redevelopment. I guess who foots the bill for that is up for debate. Re: the student flats at St. Crispin's House - I wonder if this residential use will become a folly in the future. Isn't education something that can be done remotely more and more?

[@AmySoyka]

It is still a beautiful building.

[@underneonloneliness2]

It’s a shame it wasn’t took over in 1996 and maintained. Goes to show what can happen to a building without maintenance.

[@kirishima638]

Norwich: A brutalist nightmare

[@underneonloneliness2]

Allot of modern day buildings are very ugly.

[@gordonbennet1094]

Why can't the building be let to a company at half price rent? Building wouild then be occupied by people. People bring custom to local shops. Better half rent, and a building cared for, than no rent, and a building falling to bits. Fault my logic someone ..

[@lewis72]

If you like concrete, go to Coventry.

[@TheIanBullock]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iofbgYmja7CeZtE

[@sallycushing9138]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheIanBullock]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX25iZ98aLJpeLs