Friday 30 September 2011

North section of BP House





The Univac 1006 was installed on the 1st floor of this part of BP House.

The building in the background was occupied by Robert McAlpine.

The Marlowes

Looking up The Marlowes with part of BP House spanning the road.

View shows The Waggon and Horses on the left.

BP House - old building

Originally known as Hempstead House, later known as BP House.

In the foreground - the water gardens and the circular car park. Looking down at the car park from above you went up clockwise and came down to the exit anti-clockwise. The bridge at the top which you drove across to make your way down was the source of many scraped cars!

Kodak building in rear of this picture.

The Waggon and Horse was to the left of this view.

Added by David F Thorn on 30 September 2011

BP House gardens


Gardens at the rear of the new building, constructed over the computer halls.

I can remember that before the gardens were laid the water proofing was tested by flooding this area making it in to a giant pond.

Added by David F Thorn on 30 September 2011

BP House underconstruction

Thursday 29 September 2011

£6M OVERHAUL FOR BREAKSPEAR PARK

Published on Wednesday 23 August 2006 in The Gazette
 
Giant office block Breakspear Park will be getting a £6 million revamp to put it on the business map.

The landmark building, at the gateway to Hemel Hempstead in Breakspear Way, has recently changed hands and the new owners plan an overhaul.

A new cafe will be built in the reception area, which will be moved to a more central and welcoming position.
Offices and common areas will get a facelift while the building's sign will get a new logo.

Business consultants Hewitt Associates and oil company BP are already tenants in the building while just over 100,000 sq ft of office space is up for grabs.

Graham Ricketts, of letting agents Brasier Harris, said they wanted to create a 'buzz' in the scheme.

"We are trying to appeal to local companies who might not associate themselves with the building at the moment," he said.

Added by David F Thorn on 29 September 2011

BP Going

Published on Tuesday 25 March 2003 in The Gazette

BP is leaving Hemel Hempstead it was announced today.

The company says it has taken the decision not to renew its lease on Breakspear Park, the prestige building just by the Hemel junction with the M1.

The move will involve about 750 people in all and most will be re-located to a purpose built business park at Sunbury on Thames.

The company does, however say that about 150 people will be based at a smaller operations centre elsewhere in the Hemel area.

At its peak in the 1990s, about 1,200 people worked at BP house, renamed Breakspear Park when the company scaled down its activities in the town.

The move, says BP, will be phased in from late 2003 and throughout 2004

The oil giant has been a big part of the town since the early 1970s when it occupied the office building that spanned the entrance to the town centre.

It moved to its current site in 1989 after the town centre building had to be closed and later demolished due to structural problems.

Added by David F Thorn on 29 September 2011