Listed building attempt for Central YMCA building

A heritage charity and a London campaign group have applied to list the building formerly home to the world's first purpose-built YMCA, following its closure earlier this year.

The Twentieth Century Society and the ExY Club have filed submissions with Historic England in an effort to protect the Brutalist structure on Great Russell Street.

A spokesperson for the Twentieth Century Society said the listing would ensure that "whatever the future may hold, [the building's] undeniable architectural qualities would endure".

The former YMCA was closed in February after being sold late last year to real estate firm Criterion Capital. The company was contacted for comment.

The Central YMCA had been operating from its Great Russell Street base since 1977.

A petition to save the premises received more than 8,000 signatures however it shut as planned on 7 February.

The Twentieth Century Society and the ExY Club, formerly the Save the YMCA Club Committee, applied to Historic England to have the building listed.

The ExY Club's detailed submission, which is intended to complement The Twentieth Century Society's submission, focuses on the building's design and purpose as a community and leisure complex.

"The building is the subject of a recent sale which may alter the interior layout and change the purpose and nature of the buildings [sic] historic function – a function that is intrinsic to its historic, communal and architectural value," the application stated.

The Twentieth Century Society's submission said the "Brutalist concrete megastructure" had "considerable historic and architectural interest".

A spokesperson for The Twentieth Century Society told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Bloomsbury's Brutalist landmark has clear historic interest as the site of the world's first YMCA, and its status as an Asset of Community Value demonstrates its importance to the members and community that frequented it until recently.

"Recognising the building with national listing would ensure that, whatever the future may hold, its undeniable architectural qualities would endure."

A Historic England spokesperson confirmed they were in the process of assessing the building for listing.

"In due course we will submit our advice to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who will then make the final decision on the case," they said.

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