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One of the most distinctive features of the building was the door. Over 8 feet tall and almost as wide, it was a massive double door modeled on the wooden medieval doors found in cathedrals and abbeys. Legend had it the builders had actually tried to acquire such a door after the First World War but failed to negotiate the labyrinthine regulations that sprang up in the post-war reconstruction period.

The current door had been made locally with wood imported from the American South. A local smith had forged the massive hinges and bracing and worked with a local locksmith to craft the intricate locking mechanism. Oiled to a high sheen, the door was originally a warm chocolate brown, but it had faded over the years and was now a close match to the grey of the rest of the concrete edifice it guarded.