In under a century, through a long series of amalgamations, and the establishment of a successful overseas business, it had become the largest bank in the world.

Renamed the Midland Bank in 1923, in 1924 it commissioned a new headquarters building on Poultry in the City of London.

[2] Following the Midland's financial decline in the late 20th century, it was absorbed into HSBC in 1992[1] and the Poultry headquarters was vacated and subsequently sold.

[3] The building's restoration, a partnership between Soho House and the Sydell Hotels Group, has drawn praise from both architectural critics and travel writers.

[a][8] On McKenna's accession to the chairmanship of the Midland, he engaged Lutyens to design the bank's new headquarters.