1-21 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A four storey, fourteen bay reinforced concrete framed 'Festival of Britain' style building built 1957-59 to designs by Young & Mackenzie for Arnott's (of the department store firm) located to the west of Bridge Street in the centre of Belfast. Rectangular on plan facing east with canted corner features. Return to north along Rosemary Street is three storey.

Flat bitumen roof behind tall parapet with cast-iron hoppers and circular downpipes to rear. Walling to front façade ground floor of polished black and green granite cladding and black, green and white mosaic between shopfronts; Ribbon glazing between green slate cladding panels to first and second floors; third floor walling set back behind 'geometric' steel railings and clad in geometrically designed precast concrete and green slate units (octagonal concrete and square slate). Full height end bays are clad in rustic brick above ground floor. Deep overhanging concrete canopy to ground floor. Windows are steel casements in timber frames unless otherwise noted.

Principal east elevation ground floor has modern shop fronts of plate glass under canopy. The original 'geometric' design and equally spaced lights to the soffit are visible at the right; the remainder is clad in uPVC sheeting. Sections of the leading edge of the canopy support various modern shop signs and short lengths of modern steel railings. Middle 12 bays first and second floor have large multi-pane windows filling structural bays with slate cladding to cill height and slate clad projecting columns. Second floor windows are surmounted by blue/green framed panels. Third floor is stepped back behind railings with 18 single square window openings in projecting precast concrete surrounds. Façade is topped with an in situ reinforced concrete parapet with thin overhanging concrete coping. End canted bays are clad in rustic brick with windows and wall panels to upper floors as before with the addition of full glazing at third floor level set behind railings; all set within projecting concrete surround; that to north has been painted and has a large sign obscuring the wall panelling. Overhanging concrete coping as before.

South elevation on High Street and has modern shop units of plate glass under canopy. Central section is one and a third bays wide and upper floors are detailed as main façade, with three square windows on the third floor. Flanked by rustic brick clad walls of the canted corner bay. Façade is topped with parapet as before.

North elevation on Rosemary Street and has modern shop units of plate glass under canopy. The original decoration & lights to soffit are visible to the left; the remainder is clad in uPVC sheeting. Left section of the leading edge of the canopy has a modern shop sign; right has steel railing. Upper floor detailing differs from other elevations with smooth rendered walling in which are set five equally spaced openings with uPVC framed glazed door with square overlight at first floor and five square windows over; in surrounds as before; flanked by rustic brick clad walls rising to parapet level. Topped with a coping as before and railings above and between brick 'book ends'. Behind railings is a precast concrete three bay loggia at third floor level.

Rear west elevation is abutted by various neighbouring buildings at ground and first floor levels. End bay to right is entirely abutted by neighbouring building. Exposed sections of ground and first floors are constructed in rustic brick with variously sized and located windows. Parts of the second floor are set back forming large roof top areas which are guarded by steel tubular railings and accessed by steel stairs and ladders. Georgian wired glass rectangular rooflights provide light to first floor rear rooms. Second floor has multi-pane windows set within exposed concrete frame with brick infill panels. Some second floor openings are infilled with glass blocks.

Third floor is set back again forming a long roof top area guarded by galvanised steel railings and providing access to small narrow rooms running the length of the building. Multi-pane replacement uPVC windows are set within exposed frame with infill as before. Two multi-sided timber and glazed 'garden rooms' have been constructed on the landscaped roof terrace.

Steel ladder provides access to roof top and tall exposed reinforced concrete framed parapet with red brick infill panels with precast concrete insets equally spaced four per bay.

Setting

The building is located to the west of Bridge Street in the centre of Belfast opposite the listed Northern Whig (HB26/50/060) and the former Arnott's Building (HB26/50/233) designed by the same architects for the same clients a few years earlier.

Roof: Bitumen roofing felt
Walling Granite/slate/precast concrete
Window: Timber/steel/uPVC
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

This 'Festival of Britain' building was built in 1957-59 to designs by Young & Mackenzie, for Arnott's. It does not appear on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Edition OS Maps. The building opposite at nos. 12-16 Bridge Street (HB26/50/233) was designed by the same architects for the same clients a few years earlier. (Patton, p42)

According to the Belfast Ulster Street Directory No 1 was occupied by McMain, Sam, woollen draper; No 3 Houston, Robert, woollen draper; No 5 Bailie, Robert, hatter; No 7 Wallis, Robert, woollen draper; No 9 Lepper, George, watch maker and jeweller; No 13 Montgomery, Henry, linen draper and haberdasher; No 15 Cain, John, woollen draper; No 21 Colville, John, woollen draper.

In 1861 No 1 was occupied by J. Girdwood's room paper and carpet warehouse, No 3 M. McCracken, boot and shoe maker, residence Great George's Street; No 5 Tate & Davison, woollen drapers; Nos 7,9,11 & 13 John Arnott & Co. wholesale and retail woollen drapers, silk mercers and general ware- house men, D. Taylor's residence, Windsor; No 15 Wholesale entrance of J. Arnott & Co; No.17 J. Arnott & Co (see above); No19 David Walker, confectioner and restaurant; Nos 21, 23 & 25 Geo. W. Kyle, hosier, glover, shirt & stock maker, outfitter &c, residence, Greenmount, Craigavad, Co Down.

By 1918 No1 was occupied by. Baird Bros., boot merchants; No 3 Irish Temperance League; No 5 Stewart, John, hairdresser; No 7 McGoldrick, H, publican; Nos 9 & 11The Athletic Stores - Edwin C. Blakely, manager; Nos 13 & 15 Patterson, Robert, & Sons Ltd, iron mongers, mill furnishers, ship furnishers and engineers; No17 The Capital Loan Company Ltd/Gordon, W R studio; No 19 Thompson Bros Ltd, French Cleaners, Dyers and Carpet Beaters: Works, Dunmurry; No21 Ulster Fountain Pen Depot - M. Hicks, Proprietor.

Prior to the second world war, 'a stripy gabled four-storey building' by W J Gilliland called Madigan Chambers occupied the corner of Bridge Street with Rosemary Street.

Bridge Street was badly blitzed during the war resulting in the destruction of a large number of buildings there and in the surrounding area. It was consequently redeveloped at its present, much greater, width.

According to undated and untitled plans held in the NIEA MBR the present building was occupied by Liptons Ltd; Stylo Shoes Ltd; John Temple Ltd; Lyttle & Co Ltd; Radio Rentals Ltd; Ormeau Café; Savil, Willfrey & Co Ltd; and Morton Newspapers Ltd.

The building is still in multiple occupancy with numerous shops on the ground floor.

The Festival of Britain, which inspired its design, was a national exhibition which opened in London and around Britain in May 1951. At that time, shortly after the end of World War II, much of London and many other cities including parts of Belfast were still in ruins and redevelopment was badly needed. The Festival was an attempt to give Britons a feeling of recovery and progress and to promote better quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities following the war. The Festival also celebrated the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition. It was the brainchild of Gerald Barry and the Labour Deputy Leader Herbert Morrison who described it as "a tonic for the nation".

Sir John Arnott, 1st Baronet JP (26th July 1814 – 28th March 1898) who founded the company that commissioned the building, was an Irish entrepreneur and a major figure in the commercial and political spheres of late-19th century Cork. He was also founder of the Arnott's department chain. After starting a business in Belfast that prospered he returned to Cork and opened a drapery store which later expanded across Ireland and Britain.

Among the other businesses he started or was involved with were Cash and Company Cork; Baldoyle and Cork Race Park Meetings; the City of Cork Steamship Company; Passage Docks Shipbuilding Company; the Bristol Steam Navigation Company; and Arnotts Brewery Cork. He acquired the Irish Times and The Northern Whig newspapers, though he later disposed of the Whig over disputes relating to its editorial policy. His family retained a connection with the paper until the 1960s, although they had disposed of their interest earlier.

Arnott was elected Lord Mayor of Cork three times, in 1859, 1860 and 1861. He was Justice of the Peace for Cork City and County and served as Member of Parliament for Kinsale between 1859 and 1863. Arnott was created a Knight Bachelor by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1859 and became a Baronet, of Baily, in the County of Dublin on 12 February 1896.

References:

Primary Sources

1. First Edition OS Map (1833)
2. Second Edition OS Map (1860)
3. Third Edition OS Map (1938 revision)

Secondary Sources

1. Patton, Marcus. "Central Belfast A Historical Gazetteer." Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1993, p.42
2. www.wikipedia.org
3. www.lennonwylie.co.uk

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A four storey fourteen bay reinforced concrete framed building built 1957-59 to designs by Young & Mackenzie for Arnott's. Though it is one of a small number of relatively intact modernist 'Festival of Britain' type buildings erected in the Province in the post-war era, it was completed eight years after this event, and is not considered to be an outstanding example of the architecture of its period in Northern Ireland.

General comments

Within Belfast City Centre Conservation Area