102-108 Ann Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An attached four-bay four-storey steel-framed red brick commercial block, with concealed basement and half-dormer attic, built c. 1903, located on the northern side of Ann Street. Rectangular on plan, abutted by full-height gable-fronted single-bay return (c.1903) and two-storey flat-roofed extension (c.1930) to rear. Ground commercial units with offices and meeting rooms on the upper floors.

Pitched natural slate roof with terracotta half-round ridge tiles; three flat-roofed dormers to north and south; raised brick verges to east and west gables and to bay left-of-centre, topped with chamfered brick coping. Scalloped red brick parapet to south, topped with moulded red sandstone coping and tall pyramidal finials; parapet gutters with painted uPVC downpipes breaking through to outer ends, piercing the sandstone stringcourses. Red brick chimneystacks to east gable and south pitch of eastern bay, having stepped brick corbels, cementatious coping and a variety of terracotta pots. Walling is machine-made red brick laid to Flemish bond with ashlar red sandstone dressings. Largely square-headed window openings with brick architraves. Windows are largely side-hinged timber casements with an incorporated bipartite overlight. Flat-roofed lead-capped painted cast-iron/timber dormers with uPVC rainwater goods and tripartite timber casements with some historic glass.

Principal elevation faces south and comprises four bays, three of which are largely symmetrical, having three window openings on the upper floors, with a bipartite window to the central openings. Narrow fourth bay to east-of-centre is a single-opening wide and contains a shallow breakfront with gauged sandstone pediments over the third floor window and the ground floor door opening, with the entablature of the latter inscribed ‘PRINCES BUILDINGS’. Window aprons throughout contain projecting brick panels; projecting continuous sandstone cornices over third and second floor levels; flush continuous sandstone lintels to upper floors. Outer bays are defined by projecting brick piers at third floor level, which are carried on T-shaped stylised sandstone corbels, extending through to parapet level and topped by sandstone finials. Five square-headed bays to ground floor, comprising three shopfronts, separated by two door openings (the eastern gives access to No.106, the western is located between Nos.102 & 104). Bays are defined by projecting ashlar red sandstone piers, which are clad in polished red granite to the lower-half and feature engaged Ionic pilasters to the upper proportion, which support the fascia level. Continuous painted timber fascia with raised fixed lettering (modern vinyl lettering to right-bay, No.108), subdivided by pedimented doorcase to right-of-centre, and surmounted by a continuous sandstone cornice. Modern bipartite aluminium display windows with polished red granite stall-risers, and replacement wired glass overlights over projecting plastic fascia. Recessed door openings concealed behind steel roller-shutters with matching overlights. Brass plaques (‘JAMISON & GREEN Ltd’, ‘PRINCES BUILDINGS Ltd’) and letter slot mounted on western pier of western doorcase.

West elevation is blank, the left-side containing remnants of former projecting chimneybreast. Lower levels abutted by neighbouring building.

North elevation is six-openings wide with exposed basement level and multi-storey gable-fronted return abutting to left-of-centre. Roof contains modern velux window and ventilation stack; horizontal red brick parapet is pierced by cast-iron downpipes and hoppers. Segmental-headed window openings with brick voussoirs, concrete sills and largely bipartite timber casements with matching overlights and much remaining historic glass; openings to central bay are four-lights wide. Windows to right-cheek of return are square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes; bipartite casements to first floor and a diminutive casement to basement of gable-fronted elevation. The upper two levels of the western re-entrant angle, contain a bowed bay, having concrete flat-roof and supporting beam, square-headed window openings with bipartite fixed light casements with single overlights. Later flat-roofed red brick two-storey over basement return abuts to western re-entrant angle; with bipartite and tripartite squire-headed window openings to the upper floors with continuous concrete lintel and sills, multi-paned metal-framed windows and a ground floor opening concealed behind a steel roller-shutter. Traces of former abutments to lower levels of right-side (now removed), with openings boarded up but steel column of internal structure is exposed.

East elevation is largely blank except for a pair of plainly detailed diminutive windows to the right-side of the first floor and remnants of a former projecting chimneybreast to the left-side. Lower levels abutted by neighbouring building.

Setting
Street-fronted on the northern side of Ann Street in central Belfast, abutted to each side by lower three-storey commercial blocks. Bitmac yard to rear, bound by a late 20th century multi-storey car park to the north and a modern steel fence to the west. Yard is accessed via a modern steel gate to north-west on Prince’s Street. Yard largely vacant except for remnants of former outbuildings/abutments and a multi-storey warehouse to the north-east, which features corrugated metal walls over a brick base.

Materials
Roof Natural slate
RWG Upvc and cast-iron
Walling Machine-made red brick with sandstone dressings
Windows Bipartite timber casements

Historical information

Four-storey commercial block built c.1903, possibly to the designs of Tulloch & Watt, and first shown on the sixth edition OS map (1931).

Prior to construction the Annual Revision records note that the plot comprised a number of townhouses, which became gradually converted for retail and warehouse use during the late 19th century. Before this, the site operated as the Ann Street brewery, which Patton notes was likely established by a Francis Turnly in the late 18th century.

The ironmongers’ and hardware merchants Jamison & Green first established an office and storage premises at No.104 Ann Street in 1882 (Annual Revisions) and by 1885 had extended into No.102 with a shop and warehouse. Noted as building ground in the Annual Revisions of 1902, these previous structures were replaced with the present block by c.1903. Initially Jamison & Green occupied the shops on the ground floor of Nos.102-104, with their offices on the first floor of No.102 and storage buildings to the rear yard. From 1903-06 the other shops and offices remained vacant, except for the caretaker’s apartment on the fourth floor of No.106, which was occupied by a Perry Smith. The Street Directories show that by 1907 the Raleigh Cycle Co. Ltd had established a shop at No.104, whilst another cycling shop had been established at No.108 by The New Hudson Cycle Co. Captioned the ‘Prince’s Buildings’ in the Belfast Street Directories, No.106 contained a number of rooms, which extended over ground floor premises, and were largely used for the offices of various contractors, solicitors and manufacturing companies, as well as third floor meeting rooms for the RIC (later RUC) Band and a dancing academy.

The Valuation map (1906-1916) indicates that access to the rear yard from Ann Street was originally provided by an entryway between Nos.102-104, however this has since been altered to create a shared entrance door to the retail units at Nos.102-104. Contemporary maps show that the footprint of the main building has remained relatively unaltered, however the outbuildings to the rear yard have largely been removed or replaced.

Jamison & Green went into administration in 2015.

References

Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/5 Fifth Edition OS map (1901-02)
2. PRONI OS/6/1/61/6 Sixth Edition OS map (1931)
3. VAL/12/E/192/J/30/3 Annual Revision map (1906-16)
4. VAL/12/B/43/B/1-21 Annual Revisions (1862-1930)
5. Belfast Street Directories (1880-1943)

Secondary Sources
1. Patton, Marcus ‘Central Belfast- An Historical Gazetteer (2nd Edition)’ UAHS, Belfast (2016)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

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

Evaluation

A substantial yet well-proportioned four-storey red brick commercial block located on the northern side of Ann Street in central Belfast, built c.1903 and enlivened by a scalloped pediment and fine red sandstone detailing typical of the period. Since construction a large proportion of the building has been continuously occupied by the ironmonger and hardware merchant ‘Jamison & Green’ until 2015. Despite some changes to the shopfront windows and reconfiguration of abutments to the rear, the building retains much of its original historic character including a sandstone pediment with ‘Princes Buildings’ inscribed within. It stands taller than its neighbours and is immediately visible when crossing the Queen’s Bridge from the east. In conjunction with the nearby Riddle’s warehouse (HB26/50/050) and the former Bank of Ireland Chambers (HB26/50/301), this group of late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings stand as a reminder of Belfast’s commercial history in this city centre location.

General comments

also HB26/LQ267