The Salvation Army will officially open its brand new, state-of-the-art premises today, 9th November 2004, on the original site which was acquired by the organisation’s founder, William Booth in 1881. The building will be opened by UK’s Princess Royal, daughter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the opening ceremony to commence at 2.30pm GMT.

The previous building at the same site was opened by the Princess Royal’s grandmother, the then Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

General John Larsson, the Salvation Army’s world leader said, “In this era of downsizing, I am pleased to tell you that this is the smallest International HQ the Army has ever had!”

He continued, “The reason is not that The Salvation Army itself is getting smaller. On the contrary the Army worldwide is larger today than it has ever been. The reason is that the building reflects the separation of The Salvation Army's international and UK administrations that took place in 1990. Until that time the two administrations were intertwined and both were part of "International" Headquarters. When in 1999 the United Kingdom administration relocated to a headquarters south of the River Thames, the opportunity arose for International Headquarters to be housed in a smaller building more suited to the needs of today.”

The Salvation Army have expressed that they have put a lot of thought into the conceptual stage of the building plans, and the stated aims were that the new building was to be modern in design, frugal in its operations and evangelical in purpose.

Larsson stated, “And here now stands the building that represents the outworking of those concepts. We believe that in its structural design the aims have been achieved. The task before us is to put into practice the aims that relate to its functioning.”

“It's an exciting time for us. This building is important to The Salvation Army and its mission, and we give thanks to the vision of the many people who made it possible. Above all, this new building demonstrates that we are, together, actively stepping forward to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by a fast-changing, modern, global world. That can only be a good thing!”

In contemplating new offices, The Salvation Army pondered on the thought of relocating away from the area at 101 Queen Victoria Street. However, after initial discussions it was clear to all that to leave the spiritual home that the site represented would have been a mistake.

Up to five million people a year walk between the Millennium Bridge across the River Thames and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the opportunities of being in the midst of so many people was too hard to pass up.

The new, highly-modern building was built with the vision of being a welcoming place where people could immediately feel at ease, and be transparent, cheerful and disarming.

General Gowans formerly of The Salvation Army said, “It should say that any work undertaken in God's name deserves the best and most efficient equipment that modern technology can provide. At the same time it should not suggest extravagance or draw attention to itself. Its mission matters most.”

“It should suggest at once that it does not exist for itself but to serve everybody, and particularly those who are in trouble, or who have a problem. So though it may not always have the solution it should at least offer clear guidance as to where that solution may be found. It should be obvious that it is dedicated to the service of Salvationists in the 109 countries where we are at work. It is international in its concerns, in its attitude, in its personnel. Its ability to speak many languages should be obvious.”

The official opening ceremony will take place on the ground floor of 101 Queen Victoria Street, but can also be viewed worldwide , as footage will be beamed live across the globe via the internet.

The worldwide broadcast will take place on 9th November from around 2.15pm GMT and can be viewed by clicking here.