 The competition for a new Admiralty and War Office building in Whitehall, London, in 1884 involved Christian in a selection committee as President of the RIBA.The committee were faced with a difficult two-stage process with 128 entries to assess.Despite their arduous and careful work the committee experienced much hostility towards their choices and, having made the final selection, parliamentary economic concerns led to the collapse of the scheme (two separate buildings were later constructed), thus wasting the time and effort of Christian and his colleagues.