Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/30/010 C

Address :
The Gas Office 4-14 Cromac Quay Belfast BT7 2JD

Townland:
Malone Lower

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Survey 2:
A

Date of Listing:
20/06/1984 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Gas Works

Former Use
Gas Works

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
Yes

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
147/01 NE

IG Ref:
J3415 7343

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

A multi-bay, two-storey-attic building aligned along the north-south axis and located to the east side of Ormeau Road, just south of where it crosses the Blackstaff River (now culverted). Its principal elevation faces west onto the main road. Roof is pitched natural slate with terracotta ridge tiles. Ogee cast-iron gutters are located to outsides of blocking walls, with half-round steel gutters to rear. The roof is divided by raised sandstone firebreaks into four sections. The north most section is aligned at an acute angle to the main section and has a rounded end. There are also two slender brick chimneys rising from the eaves of this section. The next section along, has an eaves gable at the north end to both sides, a ridge chimney at its north end, and an eaves chimney along its west side. The third section is also demarcated by eaves gables at each end of both sides. The south section has an eaves gable on its west, south and east elevations around the clock tower, with five eaves chimneys along its west side. There are skylights to the east pitch of the roof. Walls are constructed with red brick. The entire street elevations are richly ornamented in contrast to the plain rear elevation. The basal section is delineated by a shallow brick string course and two chamfered stepped base courses. The ground and first floors are separated by a moulded sandstone string course directly under which is a moulded/dentillated brick course. Underneath this course is a row of moulded brick specials and above is a moulded sandstone cill course to the first floor windows. The gutters are carried on a projecting cut sandstone eaves course below which is a line of moulded brick specials. The blocking course is coped with sandstone blocks which continue along the tops of the raised gable verges. The blocking wall is punctuated by semicircular-headed openings to enable the rainwater to discharge from behind the blocking course into the external gutters. The west elevation of the north section is blank to its ground floor except for two small segmental-headed recesses containing identical terracotta panels embellished with swirling leaf motifs. The next section along has a doorway to the main office and also a works’ entrance, both set in semicircular-headed openings embellished with terracotta spandrels. The former opening has a pair of ornate wrought-iron gates to its porch; a modern glazed doorway has been inserted into the latter doorway. At the far right-hand end of this section is a four-panel door (raised and fielded panels) with semicircular overlight. Again there are recessed terracotta panels instead of windows to the ground floor, five in number and each with an identical depiction of Belfast’s coat of arms and motto 'Pro tanto quid retribuamus' ( For so much which shall we repay), winged cherubs and leaf motifs. The third section along has four sets of 4/2 timber windows in shallow segmental-headed openings. The fourth section at south end has an assortment of windows and doors similar to the rest of this elevation and also three terracotta panels detailed as the second section. The entire first floor has single, paired, and triple sets of one-over-two timber windows. The eaves gables have single and paired 1/1 sliding sashes. The north elevation is blank to the ground floor and has a pair of one-over-two timber windows to the first floor. The east elevation is of plain red brick without any embellishments. The north section of the elevation runs at an angle to the rest of the block. It has large picture windows to floors (in what was originally a single large opening), a doorway at ground floor and 4/4 sash window above. There is also a large cast-iron bracket at ground floor level. The large opening and bracket are probably connected with the telpher overhead railway which formerly ran along the outside of this elevation to carry buckets loaded with coal from Cromac Wharf to the retort houses elsewhere in the gasworks. The next section has an assortment of openings, some with semicircular heads, others with flat metal lintels containing multi-paned windows and large modern door/window glazed units. The next section, delineated at both ends by an eaves gable, has 2x2 windows with semicircular overlights and central segmental-headed doorway to the ground floor. The latter contains a pair of semi-glazed panelled doors with overlight. The fourth section at the south end of this elevation generally has flat metal heads to the ground floor openings, mostly with modern glazed inserts. Along the first floor of this entire elevation are 4/4 sash and one-over-two timber windows in flat and segmental-headed openings respectively. The eaves gables all contain single 1/1 sash windows. The south gable has a modicum of embellishment in the form of two thin moulded brick string courses and sandstone eaves to its upper floor. The ground floor has an infilled doorway at left and two windows at right with modern inserts and metal security grilles over. There is a one-over-two timber window to the first floor and 1/1 sash to the eaves gable. Clock tower A substantial two-stage clock tower rises from the roof at the south end of the building. It has a tapered octagonal copper-sheeted roof surmounted by a sandstone ventilator topped with a ball finial. A metal railing runs around a balcony over a moulded sandstone eaves course around the top of the tower. A metal rainwater down pipe runs down the inside of the tower. The upper stage of the tower is of octagonal cross-section. Each of its faces contains an in-stepped dressed sandstone opening with timber louver. The lower part of the tower is of brick and of circular cross-section. At the top of this stage are four clock faces (in line with the four elevations of the main block), each enclosed by an advanced ashlar sandstone surround carried on a moulded corbel. The lower part of the stage has four narrow single-pane windows with sandstone cills and flat heads. Setting The original layout included a block of buildings abutting the south gable of the office block, but this was removed when the site was redeveloped to make way for the main vehicular entrance to the site. New buildings have lately been erected on the ground immediately east of the office block. Main Section Materials - Roof: Natural slate RWG: Ogee cast-iron and half-round steel. Walls: Brick Windows: Timber side-opening and sliding sash. Clock tower Materials - Roof: Copper Walls: Brick Windows: Fixed timber

Architects

Watt, Robert

Historical Information

The Gas Office was originally part of Belfast Corporation’s Ormeau Road Gasworks. The site date from 1821 and although not the first such undertaking in Ireland, it eventually became the largest in the country by the mid 19th century. The present building was constructed in 1887-88 to replace earlier offices along this side of Ormeau Road. The building is attributed to Belfast-based architect Robert Watt who also designed the nearby Gasworks building. Built by Robert Corry of Donegall Pass, Belfast to contain offices, stores and governor room. The contract of 27 July 1887 between the Corporation and Corry stipulated that the building was to be completed by 1 May 1888 at the tendered price of £6875 and that any queries were to be addressed to Mr Watt in the first instance. This contract also included the clearance of existing buildings to make way for it. During this period, James Stelfox was employed as a General Manger of the works and overseen the expansion programme. It would seem that Corry fulfilled his contract as the bell in the clock tower is inscribed ‘erected 1888’. The finished building is shown on the 1901 OS map and subsequent editions. The entrance hall features in the film 'Betjeman's Belkfast', made by John Betjeman in 1976. The Gasworks closed in the 1980s and has since been redeveloped for mixed commercial use. This building was restored by Consarc Design Group in the early 2000s. The south end is occupied by them as architectural practice and the rest is sub-let to various commercial enterprises. References – Primary Sources: 1. Dated inscription on bell in clock tower. 2. PRONI LA/7/29CB/5. Contract between Robert Corry and Belfast Corporation for erection of new offices at the Gasworks, dated 27 July 1887. 3. PRONI OS/10/1/61/9/1. First edition OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 61-09 (1901). References – Secondary Sources: 1. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of Belfast, p.60 and plate 60 (Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1985). 2. P. Larmour, Belfast: an Illustrated Architectural Guide, p.52 (Belfast: Friar’s Bush Press, 1987). 3. M. Patton, Central Belfast: a Historical Gazetteer, pp 258-259 (Belfast: Ulster Architectural Historical Society, 1993). 4. Digital Film Archive, (1976).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation F. Structural System J. Setting K. Group value

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance V. Authorship X. Local Interest Z. Rarity

Evaluation

A freestanding two-storey multi-bay building, built c.1888 to designs by Robert Watt as offices for Belfast Corporation Gasworks. Prominently sited with its principal elevation facing west onto Ormeau Road. This was almost certainly the most architecturally outstanding building of any gasworks in Ireland and one of the few still remaining, albeit in a new use. For its length, this building is remarkably narrow and it is dominated by the substantial tower at its south end. Ornate brick specials, terracotta panels and sandstone dressings are used to good effect to enliven its otherwise plain exterior. Sympathetically converted into a modern office in recent years, the interiors are of particular note, and remain largely intact. The building also has group value with the meter house (HB26/30/010A) and Klondyke Building (HB26/30/010B) elsewhere on the former gasworks site. The building is also of historical interest in a national context as one of the last vestiges of what had been the largest gas undertaking in Ireland.

General Comments

Date of Survey

13 May 2011