Lovers of Marmite and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise probably knew little, and cared less, about Unilever until the spat with Tesco over pricing threatened to remove their favourites from the supermarket’s shelves. Equally, users of Blackfriars Station would be unlikely to associate the savoury breakfast spread with the grandeur of nearby Unilever House.
Unilever House is a Grade II listed building in the Neoclassical Art Deco style on the Victoria Embankment, London. It has an imposing, curving frontage overlooking Blackfriars Bridge. The design and construction is thought to be a collaboration between James Lomax-Simpson, a member of the Unilever Board, and John James Burnet and Thomas S. Tait, from the practice of Sir John Burnet and Partners. There is some uncertainty over the architectural provenance, Simpson claiming exclusive credit and saying that Burnet and Tait approved only the final design. Construction began in 1929 and was completed in 1933.