Address: 2 Rougier St, York, YO90 1UU (on Malmaison building)
Description
Under the new ‘Malmaison’ sign, the outline of a rectangular ghost sign can be seen. This ghost sign once read “Norwich Union”.
History
Norwich Union was established in 1797 in Norwich by 36-year-old merchant and banker Thomas Bignold.
He started it as a mutual society for fire insurance, benefiting policyholders with a share of the profits.
In 1808, Bignold introduced a life insurance branch, and by 1821, the fire insurance branch had transitioned from mutual status by absorbing another company.
Norwich Union had its own fire brigades until 1929, which protected properties insured under their policy.
1905 – Norwich Union fire brigade Source: Aviva Group Archive
Celebrating its bicentenary in 1997, Norwich Union became a public limited company, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
It offered a diverse range of insurance products, from general to life policies, but faced pressure to focus exclusively on life insurance in its later years.
1910 – The building with the adverts on was demolished to make way for Norwich Union Source: York Press
Norwich Union was phased out following Aviva’s 2008 announcement to unify their global presence under the Aviva brand, leading to the rebranding of Norwich Union as Aviva in 2009.
In 2022, the six-story concrete-framed building was transformed into Malmaison.
The renovation included extensive modifications to the building’s concrete core and the addition of a steel-framed rooftop ‘Sky-Bar’ offering panoramic views of the city.
The view from Malmaison’s sky bar
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