Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/22/015

Address :
Technical College Strand Road Londonderry Co. Londonderry BT48 7AL

Townland:
Edenballymore

---

Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
26/02/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
University/ College Building

Former Use
University/ College Building

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
36-4SW

IG Ref:
C4337 1749

---

Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Edwardian four-storey nine-bay red-brick Municipal Technical College building with inverted break-front and rendered dressings all on a rock-faced plinth with a painted channel-rusticated ground floor level. Built in 1908 to designs by E.J. Toye. Rectangular plan form with a modern red-brick extension to the West side. Steeply pitched slate roof has terracotta clay ridge tiles and a large ventilation cowl, centred at mid-point on ridge. Situated at the corner of the Strand Road and Cranagh Terrace on Lawrence Hill with a view of the River Foyle to the North-East side. Built originally as a Technical College and continues to serve as an educational building forming part of the North West Regional College campus. Symmetrical principal east elevation faces onto the Strand Road; walling to upper floors is laid in 'English bond' divided horizontally by wide rendered band-courses. There are two large outer gables and a smaller central gable with a painted rendered motif at each apex ('ART' to the left apex, a decorative moulded date stone with 1908 AD to the centre, and 'SCIENCE' to the right) and copper dressings to copings. Clasping buttressing piers are evident on the gables on second and third floor level. Large decorative ventilation tower located on ridge above central apex with lead to side elevations and painted timber cornicing above and below timber louvres. Large projecting cornices between ground and first floors and first and second floor levels. Ground floor level has painted rendered channelled rustication set on a rock-faced plinth with a deeply recessed central doorway within a semicircular arch opening with lugged moulded painted rendered surround surmounted by a diamond-faced keystone; timber double entrance doors have six panes to top half and solid timber panels to bottom half set within decorative moulded timber architrave with shallow arched head, moulded timber entablature below a semi-circular multi-pane fanlight with margin panes; entrance is approached via a short flight of stone steps with metal railings to the left side and a ramp to the right side; there is a small square-headed window to either side of doorway; projecting gables have a tripartite casement window on ground floor level divided by wide rendered pilaster mullions set within a moulded surround with a semicircular central window with hood mould over. Upper floor windows are square headed casements; first floor windows are set with semicircular arch bays to a deep rendered band; third floor bays diminish in scale. South gable-end side elevation faces onto new build red-brick campus building; gable-end has a series of small square headed windows on each floor level divided horizontally by rendered band-courses. Projecting cornices from North elevation return the corner spanning the full width of the side elevation between ground, first and second floor levels; ground floor has painted rendered channelled rustication, walling to upper floors is of red-brick laid in 'English' bond. South side to rear return is of a similar fenestration pattern with plain rendered ground floor level, red-brick on upper floor levels divided horizontally by rendered band-courses between floor levels. To the extreme left side there is a modern corridor 'link' enclosed bridge spanning between the rear extension and the neighbouring building at first floor level. Rear west elevation of main building is of painted render finish; there is a door opening on ground floor level approached via a curved metal external staircase leading to a four-panel timber door with glazed top panes; above is a series of small square headed casement windows on painted masonry sills. West side of rendered rear return has a pair of timber doors with integrated side lights and multi-pane transom light over; the fenestration pattern to the remaining elevation is irregular with a mixture of small, large and narrow casement windows carried through to third floor level. The rear yard is enclosed by a high stone wall. North elevation faces onto Lawrence Hill with three gabled bays having steeply pitched roofs; ground floor to the main building and rear extension is of painted rendered channelled-rustication with red-brick finish to upper floors divided horizontally by deep rendered band-courses; ground first and second floors are divided by deep projecting cornices; main building gable-end elevation has a narrow long segmental arch headed window to the right-side on ground floor level; third floor level contains a large semicircular arch headed opening with rendered hood mould and flying keystone to centre of arch; upper floor windows are square-headed casements; first floor windows are set within semicircular arch headed bays; ground floor of rear extension has a series of wide segmental arch headed window openings, all set back behind a low stone wall with metal railings above stepping down the hills towards the Strand Road. Setting: Located on the West side of Strand Road, located on a corner site to the Strand Road and Cranagh Terrace on Lawrence Hill with principal elevation facing East onto Strand Road overlooking the River Foyle to the NE side. Materials: Roof Slate RWG Cast Iron Walling Brick and render Windows Timber casements

Architects

Toye, E J

Historical Information

The Municipal Technical College, a four-storey nine-bay Edwardian building located at the corner of the Strand and Cranagh Terrace, was constructed in 1908. Londonderry’s first technical college was designed by Edward J. Toye (1857-1932), a local architect who was a pupil of J. G. Ferguson and formed a partnership with James Croom between the 1870s and 1890s. Leaving the partnership Toye set up an independent practice in Derry that the Dictionary of Irish Architects described as a ‘busy one in which work for the Catholic Church predominated.’ Toye was responsible for the design of the city’s most important Roman Catholic and school buildings. Amongst his educational structures included additional wings at St. Columb’s College (1877-79; 1893-93; 1897-98) (HB01/16/003), the Girl’s School at Long Tower Church (1893) (HB01/18/002), the Convent of Mercy Primary School on Artillery Street (1911) (HB01/19/067) and design of St. Eugene’s Boy’s School on Francis Street (1914) (HB01/21/003). Toye’s design for the Technical College was described by the UAHS Guide as ‘a tall gaunt building with a certain amount of character. The lower floors are rendered in imitation ashlar and the upper floors are finished in red-brick, broken horizontally with broad bands of rendering and terminating in three gables (DIA; UAHS guide, p. 42). The Technical College on the Strand Road was constructed in 1908 and was first depicted along its current layout on the Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910). A contemporary photograph of the building (dated c. 1910) shows that the college’s exterior structure has not been altered since the Edwardian period. The Ulster Town Directory records that the college was originally known as the Municipal Science, Art & Technical School and was established in connection with the Science and Art Department and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in Ireland (UTD). The association with the sciences and arts is recorded on two cartouches located on the building’s outer gables whilst the smaller central gable bears a datestone noting the year the college was founded. The Annual Revisions record that the college had been constructed on land leased by Foyle College (HB01/22/016) and was initially valued at £360. Under the First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) the value of the building was increased to £600. Following the demolition of the Strand Road Mental Hospital in the late-1960s the Technical College was expanded to the south although no additions were made to the structure of the original college building at that time. By the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72) the Technical College and its additions were administered by the Londonderry County Borough Education Authority and had been greatly increased in value to £3,320. The Municipal Technical College was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the building underwent a general refurbishment in 2002 which included the repointing of its brickwork, the reorganisation of the interior floorplan, the installation of new timber window frames and the addition of disabled ramp access to the front of the building. The building was included in the Magee Conservation Area which was designated in 2006. During the Second Survey the original Edwardian Technical College continued to form part of the North West Regional College NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873-1910) 2. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-2F – Annual Revisions (1898-1931) 3. PRONI VAL/3/C/6/10 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1936-57) 4. PRONI VAL/4/B/5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 5. Ulster Town Directories (1890-1943) 6. First Survey Record – HB01/22/015 (1970) 7. NIEA HB Records – HB01/22/015 (Missing) Secondary Sources 1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013. 2. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970. 3. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003. 4. ‘A design guide for the Magee Conservation Area’ Belfast: Department of the Environment, 2010. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance V. Authorship Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Edwardian four-storey nine-bay red-brick former Municipal Technical College building located on the corner of Strand Road and Cranagh Terrace at Lawrence Hill on the western side of the River Foyle. Built in 1908 to designs by Edward J Toye, a prominent local architect who was responsible for the design of the city’s most important Roman Catholic and school buildings including St Columb’s Girls’ School (HB01/18/002) and additional wings at St. Columb’s College (HB01/16/003). Interior refurbishments have resulted in the loss of original plan form and some historic detailing, however sufficient original detailing to the exterior remains with character intact such as the deeply recessed central doorway with lugged moulded surround to the front facade. It continues serve as an educational structure forming part of the North West Regional College campus and as such has social and local interest.

General Comments

Date of Survey

08 October 2014