Sentinel House formerly known as Norwich Union.

There’s a building on Surrey Street that was once the old Aviva building, formerly known as Norwich Union, last used by the insurance company in 2015.

Take a walk down Surrey Street today, and the iconic building is now called Sentinel House and now boasts luxury apartments, complete with a gym and concierge.  

Sentinel House was developed in the late 1980s for the then Norwich Union, later to become Aviva. Sentinel House kept the 17.5 m stained glass which gives the building the wow factor. Norwich Union had the stained glass fitted because they wanted something impressive, they wanted people to talk about it after they visited the building. In the 1980’s, the boom years, nobody penny-pinched, and Norwich Union wanted opulence, the tower of stained glass provided just that.

A Scottish artist, Susan Bradbury, designed the handmade, stained glass to flow like a river.

Susan came up with the design “Fire and Life”; the whole piece represents waves, fire, flames, sparks and splashes. When you view the glass from the inside of Sentinel House, the different variations of blue reflect the light of the sky, on a sunny day it’s magnificent to see. The extravagance doesn’t stop with the designed glass because as you enter the lobby at Sentinel House, you’ll see it’s not your regular lobby but a stunning marble area where these days you’ll find the concierge. This iconic building is now renovated into 199 apartments with views across Norwich. 

Being right in the city centre comes with many benefits, including quirky cafes and restaurants, good nightlife and shopping; Norwich is listed among the top ten retail centres in the UK. Norwich is regularly voted as one of the best places to live, being called urban cool, arty and a mini Notting Hill. Norwich has a wonderful mix of modern and history; it’s fondly known as the most complete medieval city in the UK. The city is oozing with culture, and on every corner, you’ll find music, street food or art, it was also England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. 

Norwich has its own “Castle on the hill”, a buzzing market, a captivating cathedral, a Dragon Hall, and more!

Sentinel House is also a commuter's dream with Norwich bus station a stone's throw away; named as one of the best-designed bus stations in the world. 

Want to know more about Sentinel House or living in Norwich City? 

Contact us  or call us 01603 660000