Newport Technical Institute

Cadw's description

Location

On a large site bounded by Clarence Place, Rodney Road & St Vincent Road; main entrance on corner with Rodney Road.

History

Built on the site of Clarence Nursery, Technical Institute, by Charles F Ward, borough architect, opened September 1910. Designed as an institute offering engineering, science, art, and commercial studies, including a teacher training centre for women. Formerly pleasure boats moored at the adjacent wharf. Currently boarded up and disused.

Exterior

College in Edwardian Baroque style. Of red brick, banded and channelled, with extensive ashlar Bath-stone dressings, granite plinth and porch, copper dome. Two storeys, basement and attic. Deep heavily dentilled stone cornice, the architrave of the entablature incorporates keystones to the first floor windows; a wide moulded stone band incorporating a sill-band separates the two floors; windows are mostly small-pane metal casements. Main entrance on corner of Clarence Place and Rodney Road. Above entrance is a copper dome on an octagonal brick drum divided by a stone band with 3 windows to each face. Corner is concave, with convex single-storey porch: at attic level are 3 round stone windows (oculi) with garlands to surround; at first floor level 3 small-pane windows with aprons, and smaller openings to balcony over porch. At ground floor the single-storey convex Doric porch in granite has radially paired columns, frieze inscription "Newport Technical Institute" with swags to the entablature; the doorway behind has central double-leaf doors in a stone surround with flanking recessed windows and ornamental glazing above, terrazzo floor, foundation stone to left; deep plain granite plinth.

Elevation to Clarence Place has slightly projecting stone end bays which run up to attic level which has semi-circular (Diocletian) windows with keystones set back between pilasters; giant pilasters with recessed moulded panels enclose at first floor level 3 windows divided by Doric columns with block corbels below, and at ground floor level 3 windows divided by rectangular pillars. Between the end bays is a 6-window range slightly recessed in stone surrounds between the banded brick pilasters; at attic level the lower slope of the mansard roof is glazed to light work rooms, the panels separated by copper bands enriched with swags. Elevation to Rodney Road is similar to Clarence Place but with an 8-window range between the stone end bays; extra brick bay at S end has attic round window with garlands. St Vincent Road elevation similar to others but has basement with iron railings rather than plinth, but retains granite sills. Left bay has entrance with shallow stone Doric porch and attached is a 9-window range, the central bay narrower with classicising dormer and shallow stone porch, end bay at right also has classicising dormer. E return has tall tapering octagonal chimney with metal bands and stone dressings.

Interior

Diagonal corridor from entrance; ground floor classrooms and workshops behind the main frontages. An octagonal inner vestibule under the dome leads to a top-lit barrel-vaulted assembly room. Further classrooms, workshops and studios on 2 upper floors.

Reason for designation

Listed as ambitious large scale example of Edwardian Baroque applied to an educational building which plays a key role in the townscape of this area of Newport. Group value with other listed buildings in Clarence Place, especially the attached ranges.