'Charles Tennant & Co Ltd.'

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large two storey corrugated metal clad warehouse / office building with double curved Belfast Truss roof, built c.1902-05 but remodelled c.1990s and now wholly modern looking. The building is set on the E side of the N end of Ravenhill Road, to the E of Belfast city centre.

This building is roughly rectangular in plan, but with the E elevation skewed. It is very large, measuring roughly 36.2m x 72. The property was completely remodelled in recent years and is now almost wholly clad in recent corrugated metal to all sides with new openings created and modern dome-capped ‘buttress’-type features added to the W (gabled) elevation.

The W elevation itself has a tall recent brick base (almost a storey in height) with the rest of the facade in corrugated metal. To far left is a very large vehicle opening with roller shutter. To right if this are two pairs of very large circular windows with plain glazing, with a two storey high mainly glazed opening to right of this, which incorporates a glazed pedestrian doorway at ground level.

The long S elevation is wholly in corrugated metal. To far left are two pairs of windows with modern frames, the right hand pair are larger than those to left. To the right of these is a very large vehicle opening with roller shutter. To far right is a similar opening. To the N and E the building is abutted by other structures.

The double curved roof is covered in corrugated metal.

Historical information

This building is believed to have been built between 1902 and 1905 and was formerly used as a timber warehouse by the ‘Baltic Timber Co. It was completely remodelled c.1990s.

References- Secondary sources
1 Information supplied by Dr Michael Gould (December 2002)

The Belfast truss was developed in the mid-nineteenth century to meet the demand for efficient, lightweight and long span roofs brought about by the industrial revolution. A detailed description of the historical development of the Belfast truss is included in the record for HB18/08/139. In brief, the first known reference to a curved wooden felted roof structure supported by bowstring girders is in an advertisement in the Dublin Builder for 1866 by the Belfast firm of felt-makers, McTear & Co. McTear’s continued making trusses until they went out of business in 1908.

A second Belfast felt supplier, Anderson & Co., began to produce trusses, to a slightly different design, in 1886. In 1896, Anderson’s launched their Mk II version; promoted as maximising long spans whilst maintaining light weight. This model was subsequently used by other companies, and is referred to by historians as the Belfast truss, although this term is widely used to apply to all timber bowstring trusses where the internal bracing members meet not on the bottom of the truss as was the convention but on the top curved member.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Large two storey corrugated metal clad warehouse / office building with double curved Belfast Truss roof, built c.1902-05 but remodelled c.1990s and now wholly modern looking. Though the impressive Belfast Trusses remain seemingly intact, the façade of this building is a recent creation.

General comments

Surveyed as part of the Belfast Roof Truss survey.