Frank Baines

Who was Frank Baines?

Sir Frank Baines, KCVO, CBE, FRIBA was the architect heading Her Majesty's Office of Works.

His most famous work was Thames House and its neighbour Imperial Chemical House in London, England. Thames House is currently the headquarters of the British Security Service agency, commonly known as MI5, and Imperial Chemical House was built as the headquarters for Imperial Chemical Industries.

Much of his work involved the conservation and preservation of old buildings, on which he had a worldwide reputation, including Tintern Abbey, Bylands Abbey, Jedburgh Abbey, Melrose Abbey, and Dryburgh Abbey. He was also adviser on the restoration of Westminster Hall, Eltham Palace Hall, and Caernarvon Castle in connection with the investiture of the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII.

However, he is also known for perpetuating the arts and crafts style into the mid-20th century, particularly by his large estates at Eltham, Roe Green, Kingsbury, and Camberwell, which in turn influenced housing provision by such bodies as the London County Council. The three larger houses he designed at Loughton also follow this model.