Electra House

It is notable as the wartime London base of Cable & Wireless Limited, and office of Department EH — one of the three British organisations that merged in World War II to form the Special Operations Executive.

Department EH was involved in the monitoring of foreign embassy communications, and cabling run between both buildings ensured continuance of this service even following direct bomb damage during World War II.

Electra House (Victoria Embankment) was itself subsequently hit by a V-1 flying bomb in July 1944, but this resulted in only three[4] fatalities among the 400 attending staff and did not stop daily operations.

[3] Electra House continued to be a hub for telecommunications activities by its eventual owners, BT Group, until its final demolition [5] and replacement by a new building, now occupied by British American Tobacco.

[6] Following a £50 million renovation,[7] the Fashion Retail Academy moved to Electra House in September 2024 from its previous location at 15 Gresse Street.