15 Strand Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Neo-Georgian classical-style banking hall facade, hall built as a bank in1927. Three-storey, three-bay to Strand Road and four-bay to Sackville Street with single bay canted corner containing principal entrance door.

Built of Portland limestone with highly decorative carvings. Ground floor windows, fixed panes, are round-headed and with stepped recesses, flanked by columns with acanthus scroll carved capitals. Window bays have carved female head keystones. First and Second floor windows are square-headed within a stepped recess, 12/12 replacement timber sliding sash with projecting keystones.

Principal entrance doorway is flanked by pilasters with decorative cornice and frieze above. Semicircular arch fanlight with large anthemion fronds and cartouche detail above with TNB (The Northern Bank) enclosed. Rustication to ground floor level with further cartouches to either side of window bay groups. Projecting cornice with Greek key pattern to border at first floor sill level. Secondary entrance to Sackville Street.

Large projecting salient cornice to eaves with dentils and carved lion masks to each corner. Balustraded parapet divided by segmental pedimented piers. Segmental date stone to canted corner is of 1928.

Replacement roof of Bangor Blue slates - 1986.

Setting:
Turning the corner between Srand Road and Sackville Street, facing east and north respectively, one block north of the City Walls.

Materials:
walls: limestone
windows: timber fixed & sliding sash (replacement)
RWG: concealed

Historical information

No. 15 Strand Road, a three-storey neo-classical Bank of Ireland located at the corner of Strand Road and Sackville Street, was constructed in 1927-28 to designs of James Patrick McGrath. A local architect, McGrath (1875-1948) established his independent firm in 1897 and ‘developed a varied practice of commercial, domestic, school and Catholic ecclesiastical work,’ however it appears that this building on the Strand Road was his only contract for any financial banking company. The Natural Stone Database records that McGrath utilised Portland Limestone as a primary building material (Stone Database).

Calley records that, along with the Munster & Leinster Bank at No. 9 Shipquay Street (HB01/19/026A), No. 15 Strand Road was one of the last classically inspired banks to be erected in the city’ (Calley, p. 405). The current building is occupied by the Bank of Ireland, however it was originally constructed for The Northern Bank Co. Ltd; the cartouche above the entrance to the building is still engraved with the initials of the original occupants. In 1930 the total rateable value of the building was set at £200 under the Annual Revisions which recorded that the bank also possessed a motor house to the rear (however this was demolished by the 1980s). The Bank was increased in value to £300 under the First Revaluation of 1935 and remained at this level by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72).

The National Bank Co. Ltd. Was acquired by, and merged with, the Bank of Ireland in 1965. The building was listed in 1981, however, in that year the Bank of Ireland was severely damaged in a bomb attack resulting from the Northern Ireland Troubles. The NIEA HB Records note that the building lay vacant in 1982 when lead from its roof was removed by thieves. In 1985 the interior of the bank was removed, although McGrath’s original neo-classical façade was retained; the rebuild of the premises and facade conservation cost £851,000 and included the construction of three-storey redbrick extensions to both the Strand Road (two bays) and Sackville Street (three bays). The original balustrade parapet has been extended over these additional bays and similar glazing bars installed. The neo-classical bank remains in its original use with the Bank of Ireland continuing to occupy the site.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2F – Annual Revisions (1910-1931)
2. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/4 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935)
3. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72)
4. First Survey Record – HB01/19/025 (No Date)
5. First Survey Image – HB01/21/025 (No Date)
6. NIEA HB Records – HB01/21/025

Secondary Sources
1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013.
2. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970.
3. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003.

Online Resources
1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie/
2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//stone_types.cfm?stc=45

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest
R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance

Evaluation

Three-storey neo-classical Bank of Ireland located at the corner of Strand Road and Sackville Street, was constructed in 1927-28 to designs of James Patrick McGrath. Façades only remain due to 1979 bomb damage. Internal completely rebuilt in 1986 with the loss of the original plan form and fabric. Of note due to the retention of its robust and well dsigned classical façade on a prominent cormner location, one of the best examples of its time.