Beckham’s not the only one with golden balls
ANYONE mourning the demise of Sea Containers House’s famous golden balls and wondering where they are can rest assured; their whereabouts have been pinpointed (well, one of them, at least). It seems UK Yorkstones, a salvage yard in Bayford, Hertfordshire is the final resting place for one of the iconic balls.
The flamboyant spheres have always been a defining feature of the South Bank building, which was completed in 1978, but have been given the chop as part of a refit. While most of the balls have been carted off elsewhere, The Capitalist spoke to project manager Dave Williamson of Byrne Group and he thinks one might still remain on the building.
Sea Containers House was designed to be a luxury hotel but ended up becoming offices (it’s named after its original tenant). Now the refurbishment will see it finally become home to a hotel, as The Mondrian moves in to take up a good chunk of the venue.
Ten of its golden balls had been in the possession of Yorkstones but they’ve been selling fast and there’s only one left (spotted by a roving LondonSE1 reporter), which yard owner Remus Gillan wants to hold on to as a gimmick.
“It’s handy to direct people here by telling them to look out for the giant gold ball, but if someone were to offer the right price we’d sell it,” he told The Capitalist. You heard the man…