These columns rest on a deep black precast concrete trabeated frame with two monumental piers framing the porch. By stitching together the retail spaces of the two existing buildings, a continuous ground floor space for the new accessories hall is created. This new hall is defined by a hierarchy of architectural elements that operate across the site, reasserting the presence of the building as a singular department store rather than a shopping mall.
The primary elements of the space — floors, ceiling and supporting columns — retain their independence from retail display. In the original Oxford Street building historic plaster columns with classical mouldings are re-instated to their maximum height and the coffers are made visible in their original configuration.
In the northern building, a new style of column and coffer are introduced; an interpretation and abstraction of the classical features of the original. The secondary elements include free-standing glazed screens and partition walls, which frame individual brand-run concessions within the larger space and delineate clear walkways.
Never one to miss a bit of publicity, Harry Gordon Selfridge had a seismograph installed in the building for several years in the thirties. It picked up readings from several earthquakes around the world. Today, the seismograph is at the British Museum.
You may have walked past the Oxford Street entrance hundreds of times, but have you ever looked up and seen the Queen of Time clock? Unveiled in to mark the store's 21st birthday, the 11ft tall sculpture was designed by Gilbert Bayes, and is created from bronze.
The Selfridges building reaches 6o metres below ground level, so it's no surprise that the basement levels were put to use during the second world war. The US Army took up residence down here, as the building offered a secure telex line, was safe from bombing, and was close to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. Churchill and Eisenhower are both known to have visited. Never sure whether to include an apostrophe in Selfridges? The removal of the apostrophe in the store's name was a deliberate choice following a certain series of events.
Cryptic, huh? Somehow — and nobody's quite sure of the details — Harry Gordon Selfridge managed to convince the General Post Office to give the store the telephone number '1'. So for several years, you'd only have to dial '1' to be connected to a Selfridges operator. This is not the case today, so don't try.
Ever wonder if high street fashion chain Miss Selfridge is linked to the Oxford Street giant? This meant that the amount of unobstructed space inside where products could be displayed was double that of any other store in London at that time.
What I find interesting is that the exterior of Selfridge's store was clad in stone and plaster to give an imposing neo-classical design using a mixture of Greek and Roman columns to make it fit in with the many Georgian neo Classic buildings that can be found all over London.
This choice of style gave the shopper the impression that this imposing new building had in fact been built one to two hundred years ago.
The store was opened on 15th March following an elaborate advertising campaign. The London press had been running reports on the buildings progress over the previous year.
Excitement had bee escalating. Thirty police officers were drafted in to hold back the crowds. This type of scene was unheard of in London for the opening of a shop. Selfridges department store on opening day 15th March customers queued up around the streets - photo ITV. To maintain the excitement surrounding the opening of the store he used the power of the celebrity to keep on attracting the crowds back to Selfridge's. On 25th of July Louis Bieriot's fragile monoplane, that he had used to enter the record books by become the first pilot to fly over the English Channel, was on public display in the store.
Over the four days of the event over , shoppers visited the store. He continued to use the theatre of retail to draw in the crowds. If there was some new and exciting event occurring or record broken, Selfridge's department store would put on a display. The building's roof garden was often the venue for special events. He introduced many new and fascinating exotic product lines that had never been on sale in London before.
Harry Selfridge is recorded to have said "I am prepared to sell anything from an aeroplane to a cigar". For the first time ladies cosmetics and perfumes were put on display at the front of the store. In many other London stores at that time these products were sold in side rooms or areas hidden by blinds. This product placement idea was soon copied as it was a great success with the ladies. Selfridges also boasted a large fleet of delivery vans. At first they were horse drawn vehicles but were later powered by petrol and electric engines.
The company livery was emblazed on the outside of every van and they soon became a common site all over London. Customers liked the fact that they could order big bulky items of furniture and arrange for them to be delivered to their homes, with the added advantage that the their neighbours might see that they shop at the new Selfridges store. During to the Bargain Basement concept was introduced to attract customers from all walks of life not just the elite of London.
Merchandise that could be purchased by thrifty housewives was mixed with more expensive items. Next to be introduced was a book department that expanded to become the biggest book store in the world. Harry Selfridge was a dog lover. He liked little pug dogs. He noticed that many of his customers owned dogs so he introduced a separate department that sold everything a pet owner would need.
During World War One many of the men employed at Selfridges went to war.
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