Pavilion

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Symmetrical detached single-storey redbrick and rendered pavilion, built c.1957. Irregular on plan facing north on an elevated site overlooking rugby pitch and positioned to the east of the grounds to Downey House School with a matching pavilion located to the west adjacent to the school.

Flat felt-lined concrete roofs with steel guttering and downpipes. Stretcher bond redbrick walling. Square-headed window openings with steel swivel windows and concrete sills.

Front north elevation comprises a central block with flint-dash rendered walling and smooth render plinth course abutted by a lower portico opening onto concrete platform and steps. The central block has a series of paired steel windows below the concrete overhang flanked by a series of diminutive square-headed window openings with concrete surrounds and steel swivel windows. The portico has four concrete columns to a full-span lintel, a single central door opening to the central block with sheeted timber door and timber benches to either side. Both end bays have later redbrick infill and a door opening with sheeted timber doors.

Redbrick east side elevation with a raised horizontal series of steel swivel windows set in a concrete surround.

Rear elevation abutted by a lower section with a central two-storey block. Above the flat concret roof of the lower section a series of windows to the central block is visible (detailed as per above). Redbrick walling to entire elvation and overhanging concrete flat-roof with a series of windows (as per above) below the roof, series of three square-headed windows to the side elevation of the lower block. The two-storey block has a square-headed door opening to each level with sheeted timber doors.

West side elevation as per east elevation.

Setting:
Set within its own extensive grounds to the south of Pirrie Park Gardens and accessed via a long avenue the school is surrounded by extensive lawned play and pitch areas with some mature trees. To the northeast is a two-storey rendered ground-keeper's house, built c.1933, in a similar style to the school. To the southeast is a modern single-storey redbrick block built c.2010.

Roof Terracotta tiled
RWG Cast-iron
Walling Rough-cast render
Windows Timber casement / uPVC

Historical information

The pavilions were built in 1957, probably to designs by Valentine Smyth. (Marshall)

Methodist College was opened in August 1868 on a site close to the then Queen’s College but it was not until 1932 that Pirrie Park was purchased for the school both as playing fields and as a site for a preparatory school. Pirrie Park had been the property of Harland & Wolff who used it as a recreation ground for their workers but owing to the depressed state of the shipbuilding industry at the time, they were anxious to sell. The main pavilion in the park, which Harland and Wolff had erected at a cost of £7,000, was converted into the Preparatory School.

In the 1950s under the headship of AHR Ball, Methodist College underwent an extensive building and extension programme and a number of new buildings, to designs by Valentine Smyth of Smyth & Cowser were opened in 1954. Downey House was also extended and a need was identified for new changing-rooms for games, as the existing accommodation was inadequate. Two completely new pavilions were built, one for boys’ rugby and one for girls’ hockey which were formally opened in 1957. It is likely that Valentine Smyth was also the architect of these buildings. (Marshall)

The pavilions are first shown, captioned, on the OS map edition dating from the 1960s/70s. Valuation records do not record the building of the pavilions themselves but all structures on the site were included in the valuation of £700 for the period 1933-57.

References:

Primary Sources

1. OS Map 147 – 1960s/70s
2. VAL/3/C/3/16 – First General Revaluation 1936-57
3. VAL/4/B/7/24 – Second General Revaluation 1956-72

Secondary Sources

1. Marshall, R “Methodist College Belfast, The First Hundred Years” Belfast: Methodist College, 1968

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Symmetrical detached single-storey redbrick and rendered pavilion, built c.1957. Irregular on plan facing north overlooking rugby pitch and positioned to the east of the grounds to Downey House School with a matching pavilion located to the west adjacent to the school. A modest utilitarian building employing the horizontal massing of the modernist movement located in a mature parkland setting, however it does not meet the criteria for listing.