Editing SIS Building (section)

===Design and construction===
The site on which the SIS building stands had been the location of the [[Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens]] in the 19th century.<ref name=SISBuild>{{cite web|url=https://www.sis.gov.uk/our-history/buildings.html|title=Buildings – SIS (MI6)|work=SIS|access-date=26 December 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704074447/https://www.sis.gov.uk/our-history/buildings.html|archive-date=4 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Several industrial buildings were subsequently built on the site after the demolition of the pleasure gardens in the 1850s, including a glass factory, a vinegar works and a gin distillery.<ref name=SISBuild/> Archeological excavation of the site during building found the remains of 17th-century glass kilns, as well as barge houses and an inn called ''The Vine''. Evidence was also found for a river wall on the site.<ref name=SISBuild/>

In 1983 the site was bought by [[Property development|property developers]] Regalian Properties.<ref name=SISBuild/> A competition to develop the site was won by architect [[Terry Farrell (architect)|Terry Farrell]], with an [[urban village]] as Farrell's original proposal.<ref name=SISBuild/> A scheme of office blocks was subsequently developed for the site, with a government agency as their occupier. The building had been sold for £130&nbsp;million in 1989, with construction planned to take three years, built by [[John Laing plc|John Laing]].<ref name=SISBuild/> SIS ultimately became the occupiers of the building.<ref name=SISBuild/> Farrell's design for the building was influenced by 1930s industrial modernist architecture such as [[Bankside Power Station|Bankside]] and [[Battersea Power Station]]s and [[Maya architecture|Mayan]] and [[Aztec architecture|Aztec]] religious temples.<ref name=SISBuild/>

[[File:SIS Building under construction in 1991.jpg|thumb|left|The SIS Building under construction during 1991]]
Regalian approached the government in 1987 to assess their interest in the proposed building.<ref name='Hans95'>{{cite web|title=Lords Hansard: Written Answers Thursday 20th April 1995|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199495/ldhansrd/vo950420/text/50420w01.htm|work=Hansard|access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref> In 1988 Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] approved the purchase of the new building for the SIS. The NAO put the final cost at £135.05&nbsp;million for site purchase and the basic building or £152.6&nbsp;million including the service's special requirements.<ref name=INDOct15>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mi5-and-mi6-thames-side-headquarters-could-be-moved-into-other-government-buildings-in-whitehall-a6701946.html|title=MI5 and MI6 Thames-side headquarters could be moved into other government buildings in Whitehall|date=20 October 2015|work=The Independent|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref>

The site is rumoured to include a tunnel under the Thames from the building to [[Whitehall]].<ref name=INDOct15/><ref name="AllinsonThornton2014">{{cite book|author1=Kenneth Allinson|author2=Victoria Thornton|title=Guide to London's Contemporary Architecture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCKLBQAAQBAJ|date=12 May 2014|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-1-4832-7834-6|page=58}}</ref>

The numerous layers over which the building is laid out create 60 separate roof areas.<ref name=SISBuild/> 25 different types of glass were used in the building, with {{convert|12000|m2|sqft|order=flip}} of glass and aluminium used in the building's construction.<ref name=SISBuild/> The windows in the SIS building are triple glazed for security purposes. Due to the sensitive nature of MI6's work, large parts of the building are below street level, with numerous underground corridors serving the building.<ref>Mark Henderson. "Heavy security at £75m building." ''The Times'', London, 21 September 2000</ref> Amenities for staff include a sports hall, gymnasium, aerobics studio, a squash court and a restaurant.<ref>[[Francis Wheen]]. "MI6's big secret: they're useless.", ''The Guardian'', 3 September, pg. 1</ref><ref name='SISLife'>{{cite web|title=Explore life at SIS|url=https://www.sis.gov.uk/explore-life-at-sis.html|publisher=Secret Intelligence Service|access-date=17 August 2016|archive-date=6 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606222140/https://www.sis.gov.uk/explore-life-at-sis.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The building also features two [[moat]]s for protection.<ref>{{cite web|title=MI6 building 'like a fortress' |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/21/britain.mi6.building/index.html |date=21 September 2000 |access-date=16 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111040315/http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/09/21/britain.mi6.building/index.html |archive-date=11 November 2014 }}</ref>
 
The building was completed in April 1994 and officially opened by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] accompanied by [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]], on 14 July 1994.<ref>"Queen visits Mi6.", ''The Times'', London, 15 July 1994, pg 2</ref>