2-879-372 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

Central London YMCA, Great Russell Street, Camden, London, 11/05/1971. An elevated view from the north-east showing demolition of the former YMCA building before construction of the new Central London YMCA. It was announced in February 1971 that Laing had started work on a new building at the Central London YMCA, to replace an existing building which had opened in the 1910s. The project comprised four residential towers between 6 and 12 storeys high, above a podium and basements. The basements and podium comprised Phase I of the project, and the towers were built in Phase II. Before building work began, an 'Icos' diaphragm wall - a water-blocking reinforced concrete wall - was constructed around the site area. The new building opened in 1977.