28 Penrhyn Buildings

Cadw's description

Location

On the corner of Penrhyn Road and Princes Drive.

History

Built c1930 (certainly before 1937), as a row of shops with accommodation over.

Exterior

Buff brick with white faience dressings. 3 storeys, curved in plan, and comprising 3
distinct elements, symmetrically grouped about a central block. This comprises 3
shops, with white faience to shop fronts at ground floor, and articulated 1-3-2-3-1
above, with narrow end bays over side entrances, and pediment over 2 central bays.
Plain brick pilasters between the windows, which are 2-pane sashes with margin
lights, and Greek Key frieze in entablatures to first floor, 12-pane sash windows
to second floor. White faience cornice, side entrances in moulded architraves with
flat entablature hoods. Shop fronts: the right hand unit has been renewed but the
others retain the original shop fronts with curved glazing with margin lights in upper panes, tiled stall risers and mosaic floors. This central block is flanked by symmetrical outer bays: these are also 3 storeyed, and have steep hipped green slate roofs, with leaded upper panes to first floor, and 5 12-pane sash windows in second floor. White faience architraves to first floor windows, and white cornice band. Many of the shop fronts survive, although some of the glazing has been renewed.

Reason for designation

Ambitiously composed on a prominent corner site, the development represents a well detailed example of the commercial architecture of its period, intergrating the Art Deco elements of the shop fronts within a loose Neo-georgian design; it survives almost intact.