MI6 - Vauxhall

Since 1995, the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) has been located at 85 Vauxhall Cross, along the Albert Embankment on the south bank of the River Thames near Vauxhall Bridge, London. Before settling into its current location, SIS operated out of several buildings, including Century House in Lambeth (1966–1995), 54 Broadway near Victoria Street (1924–1966), and 2 Whitehall Court (1911–1922). Another notable location was St. Ermin's Hotel, which SIS used alongside its Broadway offices.

The iconic SIS headquarters was designed by renowned architect Sir Terry Farrell and built by John Laing. The project came about when Regalian Properties, a developer, pitched the building idea to the government in 1987. At the time, MI5 was also seeking new premises, and there were discussions about housing both services together. Ultimately, this was scrapped due to the impracticality of finding a large enough space and concerns about creating a tempting target for potential attacks.

In December 1987, Margaret Thatcher's government approved the purchase of the building specifically for SIS. However, the design had to be reviewed to meet the high-security needs of the UK's foreign intelligence service. The modifications included enhanced security measures, bomb blast protection, computer suites, and protection against electronic surveillance. While some details of the construction and costs were made public, aspects of the building’s special requirements remain classified. For example, a National Audit Office (NAO) report noted certain expensive modifications but left the specifics vague. There have been whispers, like in Rob Humphreys' *London: The Rough Guide*, that one such hidden feature might be a tunnel under the Thames to Whitehall. The final cost of the site and building was £135.05 million, with £152.6 million including SIS-specific modifications.

The Vauxhall Cross headquarters has made notable appearances in pop culture, particularly in James Bond films like *GoldenEye*, *The World Is Not Enough*, *Die Another Day*, *Skyfall*, and *Spectre*. For *The World Is Not Enough*, the SIS allowed filming of the building for the first time. In the film’s pre-credit sequence, a bomb explodes inside the building, blowing out an exterior wall. Though there were rumours the British government opposed the filming, this was denied by the Foreign Office.

In *Skyfall*, the building endures another attack, this time by a cyber attack that triggers a gas explosion, killing eight MI6 agents. After this event, the SIS temporarily relocates to a secret underground facility. By the time *Spectre* was released, the building was abandoned and set for demolition. The villain, Blofeld, traps Bond and Madeleine Swann inside the ruins and detonates the building, though Bond manages to escape with Swann before the explosion.

On the night of September 20, 2000, the building faced a real-world attack. A Russian-made RPG-22 rocket launcher was fired at the building, hitting the eighth floor. Thankfully, the damage was minimal, and no one was injured. The Real IRA later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Despite its dramatic moments on and off screen, Vauxhall Cross remains one of London’s most recognizable and secure government buildings. The site serves as a reminder of the evolving nature of global intelligence operations, blending history, architectural prowess, and the world of espionage into one formidable structure.