Norgas House

Famously known for its minotaur inspired horns that adorned the restaurant block, set apart from the main building, Norgas House was designed and built by the newly formed practice of Ryder and Yates between 1963-64. It was commissioned by the Northern Gas Board as a new headquarters and part of the new town of Killingworth. Gordon Ryder and Peter Yates met in the office of Berthold Lubetkin whilst working on a scheme for Peterlee, also a new town in the north-east of England. Their own offices once sat adjacent to this HQ building. The main building housed two floors of office space raised on pilotis, surrounding a central courtyard. The raised area was intended to provide further rom for the expansion of the company. On the ground floor, the entrance, reception, a lecture theatre and a plant room linked to the restaurant block. The gas fired boilers in the plant room were not only a visible sign of the industry at hand through the glazed walls, but were located as close to the entrance lobby as possible to celebrate and advertise their business to staff and visitors alike. The building was demolished in 2013.