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In the 1970s the company looked to expand once again, and asked for a type of building that could take the business into the 21st Century, and boast their prowess as an economic force in the square mile and beyond.
In 1978 Richard Rogers, a leading architect of his time designed the building that would take Lloyds into the future, stamping power and innovation into his vision for the structure.
Rogers, (now Lord Rogers of Riverside) utilised his modernist approach for the building. Using vast amounts of steel and glass, Rogers produced a robust building, practical and futuristic looking.
The building very neatly fits into the narrow street, and blends in with its surroundings very well. Internally space has been maximised, open plan offices giving great views across the city was a new concept for buildings in London at that time.
The company retained aspects of its history within the building.
The Lutine Bell sits in the atrium, or lobby. It was recovered from the HMS Lutine, a cargo ship that was insured by Lloyds in the 19th Century.
The ship sank off the Dutch coast with millions of pounds worth of treasure supposedly on board. The treasure has never been recovered, but the ships' bell was found in 1860.
Since the recovery, the bell has been sounded when bad news was received, and today is still rung for both good and bad news.
Now uncertainty hangs over the future of the square mile. After the attacks on the World Trade Center, the area is a potential target for terrorist organisations.
Anti-capitalist groups have also earmarked global business as the root of social and environmental problems across the world.
The continuing "euro or not" debate, is likely to have a large impact on the future of the city, regardless of Britain's decision to take the plunge or keep sterling alive and well.
The Square mile houses- 21 financial organisations and associations
- 19 institutional investors
- 18 merchant banks
- 17 major law firms
- 11 major high street bank buildings
- 10 landmark buildings
- 7 multinational head offices
- 6 global exchanges
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