FORMER MALONE TELEPHONE EXCHANGE

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Since date of survey building has been partially refurbished as a residential apartment building for details see planning application ref:LA04/2015/1425/F

Detached multi-bay three-storey neo-Georgian former telephone exchange, designed 1933; architect Thomas Rippingham, under the supervision of Roland Ingleby Smith, Chief Architect, Department of Works and Public Buildings. On a corner site with principle (W) elevation facing onto Lisburn Road. Rectangular on plan on east west axis, with a rounded stair block to the north and rounded corner to south. Small rectangular block abuts north-east corner.

Built of rustic red brick in Flemish Bond on painted masonry stone base (to public south and west elevations), with a top storey added 1966 in plain red brick. Flat (likely concrete) roofs throughout behind a plain brick parapet - embellished to the principle elevations with a stone/cast concrete moulded string course - with (generally) cast iron box hoppers and downpipes. Square-headed window openings with original, single-glazed multi-paned steel windows throughout (except as noted below), set close to the front face with narrow brick reveals. Fine glazing bars, painted white. Masonry cills. Windows to ground floor are 12 panes (3x4), with the bottom part (1x3 panes) opening as a hopper. Those to first and second floors are 18 panes (3x6), with the bottom part (2x3 panes) opening. Lights to the stair are fixed. Windows to the ‘public’ faces, including to the later top storey, have soldier course flat arched heads.

North (rear) elevation faces onto enclosed yard, with full height curved stair tower abutting the north-west corner. Metal fire escape to north-east end. Original windows, those to the inner face of the stair tower being smaller. Part of this elevation, including the central part of the rear wall and face of the stair tower facing the yard is built in a plain red brick with concrete heads to the windows. The date of this work (which predates the additional floor added in the 1960s) is not known. Minor, modern modifications to door openings at ground level. Some recent (2016/17) works of demolition have taken place inside the yard, in accordance with permissions to convert the building to flats.

East (side) elevation faces onto enclosed yard, entered from Windsor Park through timber double gates. First and second floors are visible from the road. Openings whilst not symmetrical are formally set on the elevation which is characterised by two larger openings on the south-east corner, one above each other on the first and second floors, leading out onto small stone balconies/ledges, likely for escape in case of fire. A First Survey image (1994) shows substantial doors where now there are windows. This detail, used as an architectural feature, can be seen in other telephone exchange buildings.

South elevation (facing onto Windsor Park) with bowed corner to west end, originally comprised three sets of four windows, one set to each floor formally arranged on the façade (see First Survey image). Window to ground floor south-east end (on far right) has been replaced with traditionally detailed timber door with rectangular overlight and ornate masonry frame. The elevation is distinguished by the sweeping rounded corner with three curved fixed lights, one to each floor.

West elevation (facing onto Lisburn Road) is symmetrical with bowed ends to north and south. The stair well tower to the north is blank, except for original panelled and part glazed painted timber double leaf doors to ground floor, with plain moulded painted masonry surround. The central portion of the elevation originally comprised three sets of three windows above a tall masonry plinth (see First Survey image). Two windows to ground floor south-west (middle and far right) have been replaced with pair of large plain glazed shop type windows, set in moulded frame and extending into the plinth. Access to rear yard through double doors at far west end, up short flight of steps.

Setting
Located on prominent corner site on Lisburn Road. Set back from street frontage. Enclosed to north and east by tall brick boundary wall, forming a yard.

Roof Flat, likely concrete
RWG Generally cast iron
Walling Red brick
Windows Steel hoppers and fixed lights

Historical information

The site is shown as a vacant plot on the OS third and fourth editions (c.1900/1925) adjacent to the manse of Windsor Presbyterian Church (HB26/28/072). The Exchange first appears on the fifth edition (1919-63), marked as ‘Tel Ex’ and shown as an L-plan with an outlying building to the northeast. The 25” map of c.1960 shows the layout unchanged but includes the path to the front entrance at the foot of the north stairwell. The Malone Exchange was built in 1933 to designs by the Northern Ireland Ministry of Finance as a new automatic telephone exchange for the Malone area of Belfast. The chief architect of the Ministry at the time was Roland Ingleby Smith (1922-1942) who signed many of the office’s designs although due to his administrative duties he was unable to be directly involved with many of his projects. It has been suggested that the Malone Exchange was actually designed by Thomas Rippingham, another of the office’s architects, many of whose buildings have been wrongly attributed to Smith for the above reason (DIA). The building is in a Neo-Georgian style which was popular in institutional buildings at the time (such as the schools of Richard Sharman Wilshere), and erected with bricks from S. McGladery & Sons. It was originally only of two stories and the third was added in 1966 as can be distinguished in the brickwork. Further reorganisation at this time appears to have demolished the outlying structure shown in the maps and erected the present engaged north return in which the brickwork matches that of the upper storey of the main block. Later infilling or re-facing is suggested by more recent bricks on the rear elevation. The telephone exchange sits within a broader context of activity in the development of telephone communications in Belfast in the 1930s. Other automatic exchanges were designed around the same time by Smith and Rippingham for Clifton Park, Upper Newtownards Road, Ormeau Road, Paullett Road, and Somerton Road. They also designed Telephone House (HB26/30/110), on May Street which was opened in 1935 by the Post Master General and the then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Viscount Craigavon.

References
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/60/3 – Third Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1901)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/60/4 – Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1920-02)
3. PRONI OS/6/1/60/5 – Fifth Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1931-37)
4. PRONI OS/11/147/1 – 25” Irish Grid Series (1958-1959)
5. PRONI OS/27/147 – Irish Grid Map (1962-73)

Secondary Sources
Paul Larmour, The Architectural Heritage of Malone & Stranmillis (UAHS, 1991), 80.

Online Sources
https://www.dia.ie/works/view/49383/CO.+ANTRIM%2C+BELFAST%2C+LISBURN+ROAD%2C+TELEPHONE+EXCHANGE

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
H+. Alterations enhancing the building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
S. Authenticity
V. Authorship

Evaluation

The Malone Exchange is a three-storey Neo-Georgian former telephone exchange, built 1933, around a corner site at the junction of Lisburn Road and Windsor Park. The building is well-proportioned and retains a significant amount of original fabric, with various features which are representative of the Neo-Georgian style. It's simply detailed shopfront surround, doorcases and metal-framed tilting windows, in imitation of Georgian sashes, contribute to the architectural character. The building was built as an automatic telephone exchange centre for the Malone suburb of Belfast. It sits within an important group of buildings in the city, designed by Ministry of Finance Architects Roland Ingleby Smith and Thomas Rippingham, including Telephone House, May Street, HB26/30/110). These buildings represent the first extensive rolling out of telecomunications in Belfast. Internally the building is largely utilitarian and subdivided for offices but retains original timber doors and a fine elliptical concrete staircase. The external aspect and its classical proportions are enhanced by the addition of a third storey dating from the 1960s, which is legible in the brickwork courses. Under refurbishment 2018/19 as a residential apartment building, it makes a positive architectural and historical contribution to Lisburn Road and enhances its varied collection of public buildings.