Michelin Celebrates Double Centenary at 81 Fulham Road

Michelin marked a double centenary today, kicking off a series of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of both Michelin House (81 Fulham Street, South Kensington) and 100 years of the company's iconic guide books in the British Isles.

The building was officially opened on 20 January 1911 as Michelin’s then UK headquarters, in the presence of co-founder André Michelin and a host of distinguished guests including the French Ambassador and the then president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Now exactly 100 years later the company plans to re-enact that historic moment with a similar VIP event. On 20 January 2011, leading political, business and industry dignitaries (rumoured to include company managing partner Michel Rollier and current SMMT head) have been invited to attend an evening of celebration at Michelin House as part of a series of landmark events. These will also include a recognition luncheon for employees, including those who worked at Michelin House during the Fulham Road building’s heyday in the eighties.

There is also an exhibition designed to recreate a garage in the Conran Shop window. This exhibit will be showcased to reflect one of the original uses of the building, which at the time combined offices, a warehouse, distribution centre and tyre fitting bays all in one location and is set to continue for six to eight weeks. A poster competition organised through the Royal College of Art and judged by Sir Terence Conran, who along with publisher Paul Hamlyn bought the Michelin House building in 1985, has been launched as part of the 100 year celebration events. In a further homage to Michelin House’s heritage a limited edition range of original Michelin posters have been commissioned and are currently on sale through the Conran shop.

During a speech marking the two birthdays Michelin Tyre Plc managing director, Eric Le Corre spoke of Michelin’s enduring legacy in the UK and hopes for this to continue into a second century. He also drew attention to Michelin’s continuing role as the UK’s leading producer of tyres, pointing out that by any measure (be it turnover, tonnage ouput or total unit capacity) Michelin factories account for half of what goes on in the UK.

Although the beautifully Art Deco Michelin house is best known as the historic home of Michelin in the UK, the company – via other earlier warehousing operations – has actually been operating for over 100 years. Built in 1911, Michelin House – which is situated at 81, Fulham Road – is one of the landmarks of London and its sumptuous proto-Art Deco design marks it out as one of the most original buildings in the capital.

However for all the frivolities one enigma remains; despite the launch of an information gathering website and the a stained glass window amnesty, the original Nunc est Bibendum glass art  which was previously to be found on the first floor of Michelin house (now a fashionable and luxurious restaurant) is missing. The original stained glass windows were removed from the building for safe keeping following the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and were transported to Stoke-on-Trent to be stored safely until the war ended. When a post-war audit at Michelin’s Stoke site was undertaken in 1948, the three stained glass windows were found to be AWOL and despite rumours of sightings in the 1960s, they remain missing to this day. Michelin’s issuing of an amnesty on the windows in November, but so far the windows still remain at large. Michelin representatives described the notion of a future safe return its original three stained glass windows as “the icing on the cake.”

Following the war, Michelin House remained a Michelin building up until its sale in 1985 and now houses the Octopus Publishing offices and the Bibendum Restaurant & Oyster Bar and The Conran Shop which form part of the The Conran Retail Group.

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