New Monico Lounge

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Victorian mid-terrace six-bay three-storey over-basement red brick and sandstone commercial building with stone dressings, built 1892 to designs by Edward J Toye along with the adjoining Nos 1-3 Guildhall Street (HB01/19/040B). Rectangular on plan with a principal elevation facing north-west accessed via a semicircular arched headed entrance doorway to the right side overlooking the Post Office building and Custom House opposite leading to Harbour Square on the east side.

Slated hipped roof with platform section at centre, low brick parapet wall to north-west and south-east end, stepped red brick dentilled cornice at eaves; moulded half-round cast-iron guttering discharging to a circular cast-iron downpipe to each end of front elevation.

North-west elevation is of rock-faced 'block and sneck' sandstone to ground floor and red brick 'Flemish Bond' to first and second floors; ground floor bays have cut sandstone surrounds with a continuous sandstone sill-course, four segmental-arched headed bays, flanked by a semicircular-headed entrance doorway at each end with timber panelled double doors. Projecting stone cornice between ground and first floors with decorative low iron railing spanning the width of the elevation, continuous stone sill-course to windows on upper floors, windows on upper floors have chamfered reveals, semicircular-arched headed openings to first floor with moulded stone dressings to arch and moulded stone string-course between bays, square-headed openings on second floor with projecting dentilled brick cornice above, casement timber windows to ground and first floors, 1/1 timber sliding sash windows on second floor level.

North-east elevation is adjoined to neighbouring property No.8 Custom House Street.

South-west side elevation is a red brick wall of Flemish bond largely blank with a single timber sliding sash window to second floor.

South-east (rear) of the building abuts No.1-3 Guildhall Street (HB01/19/040B).

Hipped slate roof with central platform section. No chimney stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods throughout.

Materials:
Roof Slate
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Brick and sandstone
Windows Timber Sliding Sash and timber casements.

Setting:
Located within a terrace of commercial buildings adjacent to Harbour Square on the North side overlooking the River Foyle, and Shipquay Place to the South side overlooking Magazine Gate and the City Walls, situated just outside the Historic City Walls. Principal elevation faces north-west overlooking the Custom House group of stone-faced commercial buildings.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Victorian six-bay three-storey red brick and sandstone commercial building located on the south-east side of Custom House Street with Harbour Square to the North overlooking the River Foyle, and Shipquay Place to the south overlooking Magazine Gate and the City Walls. Built in 1892 and designed as a single composition with the adjoining nos 1-3 Guildhall Street (HB01/19/040B) by Edward J. Toye (1857-1932), this pair of buildings was one of his earliest independent contracts. It was not until the mid 20th century that the buildings were valued separately. Despite substantial internal alterations, sufficient detailing remains to the exterior retaining much of its character and style making it an important and significant building the Historic City Conservation Area. It has social importance as a public house and retains group value with its neighbour.