111 Cannon Street, London

111 Cannon Street is the home of the famous London Stone. According to legend, it was brought to London by Brutus, one of the first Romans, and it may have formed part of a high-status Roman building. Shakespeare mentioned it in Henry VI Part 2, and it has survived both The Great Fire of London and the Blitz. The saying “So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish” has led to the myth that the very survival of London is somehow linked to the safety of this 76kg piece of ancient limestone.

Putney & Wood were entrusted with the design and construction of an impressive new Portland Stone enclosure, which both protects and displays the London Stone adjacent to the main entrance. The enclosure is built into a façade which, in addition to the Portland stone cladding, utilises glazed curtain walling and zinc cladding. Putney & Wood designed and installed the distinctive Portland stone cladding across eight storeys and all three elevations, and the Amarelo Macieira granite plinth level.