Central Building adjacent to Stranmillis House

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Large university teaching block, known as the Central Building, built in 1968-70 to designs by HH Wrightman of the Ministry of Finance, and containing lecture theatres, offices, a drama theatre and the music department. It consists of a mainly three storey central section arranged around a courtyard with three original blocks at its corners and a two storey circular music department added later to the NW side. The main block has an exposed painted concrete frame with exposed aggregate precast concrete panels and the corner blocks are clad in a lighter colour clay brick and linked to the main block with glazed links.

The Central Building is situated in the centre of an extensive parkland
setting surrounded by mature trees and steeply sloping grassed slopes intersected by pedestrian paths. It shares the site with other university buildings, many listed, including Stranmillis House HB26/17/003; the original college building HB26/17/049 constructed c1928 at the entrance; the Henry Garret Building HB26/ 17/052; two gate lodges (Front lodge HB26/17/050A) and several other large later twentieth century teaching and accommodation buildings.

Materials:

Walls : Concrete precast panels supported on a concrete frame
Windows: Single glazed steel windows
Roof : Flat with replacement membrane
Rwgoods : Internal

The building is described in 5 parts:
A Central courtyard structure
B Entrance block
C Lecture theatre block
D Theatre block
E Music department

A Central courtyard structure
Mainly three storey concrete framed building, rectangular in shape with a central courtyard. The NW and SE sides are raised on painted concrete columns with depressed pointed arched openings giving access to the courtyard. These sides have regular paving with exposed aggregate panels between, reflecting the rhythm of the columns. This level, recorded as the basement, is in-filled on the other two sides, with either mass concrete or in some areas with clay brick and steel windows.
Half of the open NE side is used for car parking and the underside of the floor above is finished with undulating stained timber slats matching the profile of the external arches.
The impression is of a monolithic construction with the exposed columns giving a vertical emphasis on the shorter sides and the precast concrete panels giving a horizontal emphasis on the longer sides. The SW side of the courtyard has an additional floor, set back from the lower floors, which houses the fully glazed upper floor of the library. The external columns on the outer façade at this side rise separate from the façade and return to clasp the library roof.
The courtyard planted with mature trees and shrubs, has been designed as part of the overall scheme with raised beds formed by bush hammered ribbed concrete walls, used elsewhere on the building, and concrete paths laid in a chevron pattern.

B Entrance block
Located at the SW corner of the courtyard structure, this three and four storey block is constructed in buff clay bricks to contrast with the courtyard block’s darker panels. The three storey section is rectangular in plan with horizontal window bands at each level, giving a layered appearance – smooth painted concrete panels connect the windows at each level. The four storey section containing the main staircase has large L-shaped windows with metal sills. There is a free standing taller chimney built in the same materials on the SW side.
In the early 21st Century this main entrance was altered with the addition of a single storey section finished externally with timber cladding and aluminium fins, which appears to float over circular supports.

C Lecture theatre block
This 4 storey block, containing a lecture theatre on each floor, is linked with a steel curtain walling section to the courtyard structure at the NE corner. It is slightly smaller, on plan, than the entrance block but is designed in the same materials and with similar detailing. Three sides have no windows and the forth, facing SW has a projecting block that contains a projection room for each lecture theatre and a single window each side. Each storey is delineated by a recessed concrete strip at floor level.

D Theatre bloc k
Larger than the previous two blocks the theatre is situated at the SE corner on a steeply sloped part of the site. It is largely a single brick box containing the theatre, intersecting with smaller rectangular boxes containing the ancillary accommodation. It has few openings and where these occur they are rectangular steel windows. There is a free standing cantilevered staircase on the SE side. The theatre is connected to the courtyard block by a two storey link – brick at basement level and fully glazed at ground floor.

E Music department
This consists of a two storey circular building, linked to on the NE side of the courtyard building, by a fully glazed link. The upper floor, at basement level, has alternating panels of mainly steel windows and tall precast concrete panels with exposed rounded red pebbles. These are in contrast to the darker stone panels used on the courtyard structure. The lower basement is recessed by c2m and has two contrasting finishes. The lower half is in-situ concrete vertical ribs, bush-hammered to expose the aggregate and the upper half is painted smooth in-situ concrete with regular horizontal steel windows, that provide light into the practice rooms. This bush-hammered concrete plinth physically and visually connects the music department to the courtyard building where it continues round to the lecture theatre block.

Historical information

Conceived as a new main teaching block for Stranmillis College, the Central Building was constructed in 1968-70 to plans by the then NI Government's Ministry of Finance under their Chief Architect, H.H. Wightman. In order to cope with both an expanded curriculum and increasing student numbers, the building was designed to contain the College's Departments of English, History, Geography, Mathematics and Science, with the complex also housing the College library, a drama theatre, and the freestanding circular section to the north of the main quadrangle, the premises for the Music Department. The whole structure cost a total of £750,000.

The structure is located on a site previously occupied by the 'bungalow hostels', a large collection of linked single-storey blocks constructed in 1924 as accommodation for female students. Intended to be temporary these remained in use for over four decades, being finally superseded by the present halls of residence (sited further west) in 1966.

References - Primary sources
1 HED FIN 7/216-26 Ministry of Finance files relating to Stranmillis College (c.1920s-60s)

Secondary sources
1 Dixon, Hugh, 'An introduction to Ulster Architecture', (Belfast, 1975), p.87
2 Evans, David, 'An introduction to Modern Ulster Architecture, (Belfast, 1977), p.45
3 Beale, George and Phoenix, Eamon, 'Stran - Stranmillis College 1922-1998 An Illustrated History', (Belfast, 1998)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
E. Spatial Organisation
F. Structural System
H+. Alterations enhancing the building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large Modernist university teaching block, known as the Central Building, erected c1968 by The Ministry of Finance, under the direction of Chief Architect, H.H. Wightman. Consisting of a three storey courtyard building, with three smaller blocks and a drum building at its corners, all connected to the main block via glazed links. Mainly constructed in exposed painted concrete frame with exposed aggregate precast concrete panels, the building's massing is carefully broken up by the corner blocks, clad in buff coloured clay brick and the slightly later drum building clad in mauve coloured precast panels (music department).

The Central Building has a commanding location within the Stranmillis campus, it's entrance located at the top of the hill leading from the main Stranmillis Road listed entrance gates. It represents a good example of large academic building designed in the modernist style with good quality detailing externally. This includes pilotti, to free up the basement floor and provide access to the internal courtyard, bush-hammered concrete walling and original steel windows throughout. The internal layout is almost intact with only minor changes at the entrance which do not detract from the original design. Internal detailing is also almost intact with particular note given to the spiral staircases in the library, the third floor plant room and the whole of the of the music department interior. Interesting detailing is also retained in the lecture theatres.

The building's interest is enhanced by its setting in the centre of an extensive parkland surrounded by mature trees and steeply sloping grassed slopes intersected by pedestrian paths. It shares the site with other university buildings, many listed, including Stranmillis House HB26 17 003; the original college building HB26 17 049 constructed c1928 at the entrance; the Henry Garret Building HB26 17 052; two gate lodges and several other large later twentieth century teaching and accommodation buildings.