Office profile
Unilever Headquarters & offices · London, United Kingdom
Unilever · London, United Kingdom
Behind a listed 1932 stone facade on the Thames, KPF carved a light-filled atrium crossed by suspended bridges, with a roof garden on top.
The building, the wellbeing programmes and almost a century at Blackfriars — then the pay. Every number from Unilever's own annual reports, careers site, archives and the architects' project pages.
- 392,400 sq ftUnilever House after KPF's renovation
- 1932Unilever House opened on the Embankment
- 59,000+employees reached by Healthier U
- £77,719median UK employee pay and benefits, 2025
Sources: KPF project page · Unilever Archives · unilever.com (employee wellbeing) · Annual Report and Accounts 2025 (CEO pay ratio)
Companies / United Kingdom / Consumer goods / Unilever
THE HEADQUARTERS · UNILEVER HOUSE · 100 VICTORIA EMBANKMENT
A 1930s landmark, rebuilt inside around a new atrium
KPF kept and restored the Grade II listed stone exterior and completely reconfigured the inside. A new central atrium brings air and daylight into the middle of the building, crossed by suspended bridges and platforms that double as informal meeting spaces. The roof plant was moved to make way for a roof garden for work and breaks, with views to St Paul's Cathedral, and the original Embankment entrance was reopened.
- 392,400 sq ft (36,500 m²)
- Central atrium with suspended bridges
- Roof garden for work and recreation
- BREEAM Excellent
- Grade II listed
- Renovation: KPF (2008)
KPF's atrium
KPF kept the 1930s stone shell and rebuilt the inside around a central atrium crossed by bridges and stairs, topped by a roof garden.
The 1930s building
Facts: KPF project page “Unilever London Headquarters” · Stanhope project page “Unilever House” · City of London, Modern architecture: Unilever House
Unilever House at a glance
| Building | Address |
|---|---|
| Unilever House (HQ) | 100 Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars, London EC4Y 0DY, United Kingdom |
Source: careers.unilever.com, UK and Ireland · Form 20-F 2025 cover page · See them on the map ↓
Source: City of London, Modern architecture: Unilever House · KPF project page · Stanhope project page (which also credits the design to Edwin Lutyens) · Unilever Archives, “The New Unilever House”
Benefits and programmes (UK and worldwide)
Including bank holidays, pro rata; rises to 33 days after 12 worked weeks.
A minimum of 3 days a week in the Kingston, London Blackfriars or Port Sunlight office.
SHARES, the global share purchase plan, open to employees wherever possible.
Physical and mental health, nutrition and movement coaching and care navigation; 59,000+ employees reached.
Round-the-clock support, plus coaching, digital tools and occupational health.
Trained peer supporters worldwide since 2020.
Every employee was paid an adequate wage at the end of 2025.
Source: Unilever job posting 100619627056 (UK Industrial Placement, holiday and hybrid working) · unilever.com, Employee health and wellbeing · Annual Report and Accounts 2025. Full UK benefits for permanent staff are not published on Unilever's public sites.
What keeps people at Unilever, in its own words
At 31 December 2025 every Unilever employee was paid an adequate wage, as defined in its annual report.
Wherever possible, all employees can join SHARES, the global share purchase plan.
A whole-person care model for physical and mental health, nutrition and movement, in 56 countries.
Colleagues trained since 2020 to listen and point others to support.
Employee Resource Groups and networks in many offices, from Parents and Carers to Photography and Running.
Office and factory employees asked in 2025 about culture, careers, safety and wellbeing.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025 (adequate wage, SHARES, UniVoice) · unilever.com, Employee health and wellbeing · careers.unilever.com, Life at Unilever
Who works here
of managers are women
people in India, the largest country
colleagues in the UK and Ireland
covered by collective bargaining agreements
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025 (headcount, gender, India, collective bargaining) · careers.unilever.com, UK and Ireland
Pay at Unilever
The median UK employee's salary was £53,141. The CEO's total pay was 62 times the median pay and benefits (Option A).
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025, Directors' Remuneration Report (CEO pay ratio)
Compare Unilever with: Procter & Gamble
Office history: from a Warrington soap works to the Blackfriars riverfront
- 1880s A soap factory in Warrington
Brothers William and James Lever, with their father's backing, set up a soap factory in Warrington as a branch of the family grocery business. Lever Brothers was soon selling soap across the UK and abroad.
Source: Unilever Archives, “Formation of Unilever”
The Warrington soap works, 1885 · © Unilever Archives & Records Management - 1888 Port Sunlight, a factory and a model village
William Lever founded Port Sunlight on the Wirral as both a soap factory and a model village for workers. Unilever still calls it its historic home; it remains a manufacturing and R&D hub.
Source: Unilever UK press release, “Unilever completes £150 million investment in Port Sunlight” (2026)
Houses in Port Sunlight village, 2005 · Rich Daley / CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Before 1921 A London head office on Upper Thames Street
As an international business, Lever Brothers set up administrative headquarters in London — first at St Paul's Wharf on Upper Thames Street.
Source: Unilever Archives, “Formation of Unilever”
Upper Thames Street, City of London, 2016 · Paul The Archivist / CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons - 1921 Lever House, in the old De Keyser's Royal Hotel
Lever Brothers moved its London headquarters to the site of the former De Keyser's Royal Hotel at Blackfriars — the plot Unilever still occupies today.
Source: Unilever Archives, “Formation of Unilever” and “The New Unilever House”
De Keyser's Royal Hotel, Blackfriars, 1887 · Unknown 19th century photographer / CC0 · Wikimedia Commons - 1930 Unilever is born, and the old building comes down
Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie agreed to combine on 2 September 1929, and Unilever came into being on 1 January 1930, with holding companies in London and Rotterdam. Demolition of the old building at Blackfriars began on 10 June 1930.
Source: unilever.com, Our history 1900–1950 · Unilever Archives
Unilever House, Blackfriars, 2014 · Arild Vågen / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - 1932 Unilever House opens on the Embankment
Built in about two years on 1,780 piles, the new Unilever House was opened by the Lord Mayor of London on 18 July 1932. An eighth floor was added inside in 1936; the exterior has barely changed since.
Source: Unilever Archives, “The New Unilever House” · City of London
Unilever House, 1930s · Photo: KPF - 2005–2008 Rebuilt inside by KPF
Stanhope began restoring the listed building in 2005 with Unilever, Arup and Sloane Blackfriars. KPF kept the facade, rebuilt the interior around a central atrium and added a roof garden. The project won 12 awards, including the 2008 City Heritage Award.
Source: Stanhope project page · KPF project page · City of London (“KPF, 2008”)
The new atrium · Photo: KPF - 2020 One parent company, based in London
On 30 November 2020 Unilever completed its Unification under a single parent company, Unilever PLC, ending the dual London–Rotterdam structure. Its principal executive office is 100 Victoria Embankment.
Source: Unilever press release, “Completion of Unilever's Unification” (30 Nov 2020) · Form 20-F 2025
No free-to-use photo found yet.Have one? We’d love to add it.
Map: how the headquarters moved
From a soap village on the Wirral to one riverside plot at Blackfriars. Unilever has worked on the same London site since 1921 — it simply rebuilt the building twice.
- 1 · 1888Port Sunlight, Wirral — Soap factory and model village founded by William Lever
- 2 · Before 1921St Paul's Wharf, Upper Thames Street — Lever Brothers' first London head office
- 3 · 1921 → todayUnilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment — Lever House from 1921, rebuilt as Unilever House in 1930–32 and renovated by KPF in 2008
Places: Unilever Archives · Unilever UK press release (Port Sunlight) · careers.unilever.com (100 Victoria Embankment)
What Unilever does
Unilever makes everyday brands for washing, cooking and looking after yourself. It says it has a presence in 190 countries and serves 3.7 billion people every day. In December 2025 it spun off its ice cream business as The Magnum Ice Cream Company, keeping a 19.85% stake.
Four Business Groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care and Foods.
Where the money came from · Turnover by Business Group, 2025
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025, note 2 (segment information) · unilever.com, Fernando Fernandez profile (190 countries, 3.7 billion people)
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025 (Chair's statement and note 2)
Growth: revenue vs. people
€52.0B → €50.5B
153,000 → 100,000
Turnover and average employees as reported: Form 20-F 2021 (2019–2021), Form 20-F 2024 (2022–2024, including Ice Cream), Annual Report and Accounts 2025 (2025, continuing operations, excluding Ice Cream after the December 2025 demerger). Multiples calculated by eciffo.
Chief executives
Joined Unilever in 1988; previously CFO (from January 2024) and President of Beauty & Wellbeing.
Stepped down on 1 March 2025 by mutual agreement.
Previously President, Beauty & Personal Care; retired after 38 years at Unilever.
Retired as CEO at the end of 2018.
Unilever was formed on 1 January 1930 from Lever Brothers, founded by brothers William and James Lever, and the Dutch Margarine Unie.
Source: Unilever press releases (2018 CEO announcement, 2023 Hein Schumacher appointment, 25 Feb 2025 Board update) · unilever.com leadership page · Unilever Archives
Unilever: questions people ask
Where is Unilever's headquarters?
At Unilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars, London EC4Y 0DY — a Grade II listed building on the north bank of the Thames by Blackfriars Bridge.
Source: careers.unilever.com · Form 20-F 2025 · City of London
Who designed Unilever House?
The 1930–32 building is credited by the City of London to James Lomax with Burnet, Tait and Partners (Stanhope's page also credits Edwin Lutyens). KPF renovated it in 2008, keeping the facade and rebuilding the interior.
Source: City of London · Stanhope · KPF
How big is Unilever House?
About 392,400 sq ft (36,500 m²) after KPF's renovation, and 46 m tall.
Source: KPF project page · City of London
When did Unilever move to Blackfriars?
Lever Brothers moved its London headquarters to the site of the former De Keyser's Royal Hotel in 1921. That building was demolished from June 1930 and the new Unilever House opened on 18 July 1932.
Source: Unilever Archives
What is inside Unilever House?
A central atrium crossed by suspended bridges and platforms used as informal meeting spaces, offices in the restored Crescent and Watergate wings, and a roof garden for work and breaks.
Source: KPF project page
How many people work at Unilever?
96,092 employees at the end of 2025, after the Ice Cream business was spun off. About 6,000 work in the UK and Ireland.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025 · careers.unilever.com
Does Unilever have hybrid working?
Unilever's UK placement postings describe hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days a week in the Kingston, London Blackfriars or Port Sunlight office.
Source: Unilever job posting 100619627056
What benefits does Unilever offer?
Employees in more than 80 countries can join the SHARES share purchase plan. Healthier U health coaching has reached 59,000+ employees in 56 countries, and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme is available. UK placement students get 28 days' holiday including bank holidays.
Source: Annual Report 2025 · unilever.com · job posting 100619627056
How much do Unilever employees in the UK earn?
The median UK employee received £77,719 in pay and benefits in 2025 (salary £53,141). A UK HR industrial placement was advertised at £27,898.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2025 · job posting 100619627056
Who is Unilever's CEO?
Fernando Fernandez, CEO since 1 March 2025. He joined Unilever in 1988 and was previously its CFO.
Source: Unilever Board update, 25 Feb 2025 · unilever.com
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