Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education (BIFHE)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Description at October 2003: Building demolished.

Description at August 2001: Large, two storey hipped roof school of 1925 by W.G. Davies in modern style with vague Queen Anne overtones, with rustic brick and re-constituted stone façade and rows of large mullioned and transomed of windows. The building was extended slightly in 1936 with massive, overtly modern three storey complex built to the west side in c.1960. Originally a Public Elementary School and latterly a further and higher education college, the property is situated on the north side of Ormeau Embankment, next to the junction with Ravenhill Road.

In a very rough sense the original school is E-shaped, with a long ‘front’ wing facing out on to the Ormeau Embankment, a rear return to the E and W ends and a much larger assembly hall return to the centre; however an overall figure of 8 shaped plan is created by single storey portions which extend from the end returns and the sides of the assembly hall, enclosing two grass-covered yards.

The front elevation (which is basically the front elevation of the main ‘front’ wing) faces S. To the centre is a full height bay, with an Empire style appearance, in reconstituted (sandstone-like) ‘stone’. To the ground floor of the bay is a relatively small entrance door (no longer used) with a panelled and glazed double door and large fanlight with margin panes. To either side of the doorway are low projecting piers (which appear to serve no purpose), whilst above there a small balcony with ‘scalloped’ corners and simple decorative railings. The ‘floor’ of the balcony is ‘supported’ on simple panelled brackets. To the first floor of the bay there is a tall window with mullioned and transomed frame with margin panes. (All the windows, though generally much broader than this, have similar frames. Most of these frames are now PVC.) To either side of the window are broad panelled pilasters which rise to parapet level but is intersected at verge level by a projecting course (also in reconstituted stone). At parapet level, between the pilasters, is a recessed portion with a decorative moulded panel showing the coat of arms of the City of Belfast. This recessed portion rises above the pilasters and is topped with a reeded string course with ‘stepped’ blocking course above.

Either side of the central bay the elevation is broken into three identical bays, each separated by a brick pilaster / pier, with a further projecting bay at each end. The identical bays are largely in rustic brick and each has each have a large full width window to both the ground and first floor. Between the floors is a large panel of reconstituted stone, with ground floor aprons / plinth and ‘lintels’ also in stone. The rustic brick pilaster / piers between the bays each have a cast iron downspout with decorative hopper. The projecting end bays are largely in brick but with a full height central section in reconstituted stone. There is a relatively small window to each floor (contained within the central stone section). Across the whole elevation there is a projecting string course above first floor window level, with the parapet above this. The parapet is in brick with stone coping. The piers between the bays continue through parapet level, as do the central stone sections of the end bays.

The short W elevation of the original school (actually the W face of the western rear return- see above) is now abutted at the left hand side by the E end of the large 1960s portion. To the right of this the original section has two bays to left with large windows and panels etc. as front, with a recessed bay to far right all in brick with two relatively small windows to each floor. This elevation is topped with a parapet much as before.

The E elevation (actually the E side of the eastern rear return- see above) consists of a two storey portion to left which repeats much of the styling of the of the front and W elevations having a projecting bay to right with large windows to each floor, stone panel, plinth etc., and a recessed bay to left with two relatively small windows to either floor. The right hand half of the E elevation presents a stark contrast, however, as it is made up of a functional single storey section which is cut across by a makeshift corrugated iron clad stairwell which extends from the N facing gable of the two storey section. Evidence suggests that this untidy arrangement has resulted from the fact that this elevation was originally wholly two storey but that its right (i.e. northern) half has been demolished.

The rear (N) elevation of the school faces directly into Park Parade. This elevation is wholly in red brick and has a plain functional appearance. To left it is single storey, rising to 2½ storey to the centre (actually the rear elevation of the large assembly hall return- see above), reducing to single storey again to right of this, before culminating in another two storey portion to the far right (the N elevation of the W rear return). The whole elevation is interspersed with a windows of various size (most of them relatively small) and some doors, and, to the far right breaks into a recessed bay.

Within the school are two enclosed grass-covered yards. To the S the W yard is bounded by the rear of the main two storey ‘front’ section, on W by the W return, on the E by the assembly hall and on the N by a single storey toilet flat-roofed block. The two storey section to the S is actually a flat roofed projection which extends from the rear of the main hipped roof ‘front’ section. It appears to have been originally consisted of an open corridor at ground floor level, but this is now enclosed with c.1970s-looking steel framed glazed panels. The first floor level (which always appears to have been enclosed), is in red brick, with a series of relatively small mullioned ands transomed windows with Georgian-like panes. This arrangement is repeated to the W side. To the E is the W-facing side of the two storey assembly hall which has a series of full height mullioned and transomed windows. To the N the single storey toilet block has a series of large glazed panels, similar to the corridor to S. The yard itself now contains some small greenhouses.

The yard to the east repeats this arrangement in mirrored fashion but with the section to the E (corresponding to the section to the W of the former yard), two storey to the right (S) side only, with a single storey flat roofed section, in render with large modern windows, to left.

The roof is mainly hipped and covered in red clay pan tiles. To the E and W ends there is a tall chimneystack in rustic brick. Cast iron rw goods.

Extending from the W side of the original school is a very large, mainly three storey, complex built as an addition in c.1960 but actually much larger than the original building itself. This addition contrasts with the original, being in an overtly modern style, largely flat roofed, with panel construction and much curtain walling. To the E end of the addition, close to the intersection with the original section, there is a hipped roof section which appears to have been an earlier addition [?added 1936]. To the S of the later addition, SW of the original school there is a plain free standing two storey brick house, built in 1949 as the caretaker’s residence.

To the S and E of the original school there is a large car park bounded by relatively plain iron railings.

Historical information

The original portion of this building was built as a Public Elementary school in 1925, to designs by W.G. Davies. A small extension was added to the west side in 1936 to plans by R.S. Wilshere, with the caretaker’s house, also by Wilshere, built to the south-west side in 1949. The large three storey complex to the west side appears to have been built c.1960-63.

It would appear that part of the east rear return of the original building was demolished at some point [?c.1970s].

Complete school demolished during or before 2003.

References- Secondary sources
1 Notes compiled by Dr Paul Larmour (c.1992)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Evaluatiion at October 2003: Building demolished.

Evaluation at August 2001: Large, two storey hipped roof school of 1925 by W.G. Davies in modern style with vague Queen Anne overtones, with rustic brick and re-constituted stone façade and rows of large mullioned and transomed of windows. The building was extended slightly in 1936 with massive, overtly modern three storey complex built to the west side in c.1960. The property is now used as a further and higher education institute. Whilst being worthy of a survey the building is not of special architectural or historic interest.