Barry Municipal Buildings and Library

Cadw's description

Location

At junction of Holton Road and King's Square.

History

Prize-winning design of 1902-1903 by Charles E Hutchinson and E Harding Payne. The library was completed in 1906 (funded by Carnegie Foundation) and contract for public offices signed November 1906. Projected NE wing to rear not built.
Ground floor openings of public offices block boarded up at time of inspection.

Exterior

Consists of library block (to R) of 9 windows, clock tower of one bay, public offices block (L) of 7 windows. Edwardian Baroque. Two storeys and attic; basement and area railings to public offices. Red brick, bathstone dressings, channelled bathstone ground floor; plinth of local stone.

Library has bathstone frontispiece, giant Ionic columns; attic has open pediment with oculus, 4 windows; on first floor central open pediment over tripartite window, keyblocked sash windows to sides; ground floor has central round-headed doorway flanked by round-headed windows. Outer bays of library block have to first floor, 3 windows in keyblocked architraves, to ground floor, 3 round-headed windows (but first bay has doorway with keyblock breaking up into pediment).

Clock tower has copper dome with louvres, diagonal buttresses. Channelled quoins, cornice runs above clock faces; on first floor, window in aedicule; on ground floor, round arched window.

Centre bay of public offices comprises a frontispiece with giant paired Ionic columns and an open segmental pediment, Venetian window on first floor centre light surmounted by a cartouche in full relief with flanking female figures personifying Justice. Steps up to a doorway with rusticated Ionic columns, and segmental pediment inscribed ''Public Offices''; each side of the steps the pedestals break forward to bear a seated stone lion with cartouche between its front paws. Outer bays of offices block have to first floor, 3 windows in keyblocked architraves, to ground floor, 3 round-headed windows.

Side elevation (L) of 5 bays, the first 2 bays similarly articulated to the flanking wings of the front elevation the furthest 3 bays comprise a frontispiece with pediment, giant Ionic pilasters, 2 windows to central bay, single windows to outer bays; on ground floor, arched windows to ground floor, central window broader. Tympanum of pediment has carved relief with a central cartouche inscribed ''BTC'', female figures, and miniature ships.

Interior

Interior said to retain first floor committee room.

Reason for designation

Included as ambitious public building group.