Composed of seven storeys of offices, the Bank of England (1924-1939) is by Sir Herbert Baker, an associate of Lutyens, and replaced an earlier building by John Soane. Established in 1694 as the government bank, it is the country's oldest institution of its kind. Nationalised in 1946 and granted independence in 1997, it issues bank notes and assures the economy's monetary and financial stability.