Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB26/50/222

Address :
College of Technology College Square East Belfast BT1 6DJ

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
31/03/2005 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

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OS Map No:
130/13 SE

IG Ref:
J3349 7410

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Owner Category

Education Board

Exterior Description And Setting

A large free-standing five-storey building in Baroque Revival style, built of Portland stone to the front and sides, and brick to the rear, with domical corner turrets to each end of the main entrance elevation. Main entrance faces east. EAST ELEVATION: symmetrical, with a central entrance in a 9-bay 5-storey main front flanked by projecting pedimented single bays, with a circular corner tower at each extremity which rises to an open 6th storey and attic surmounted by a domical copper roof. Main roof is hidden behind a balustraded parapet. Walling is of Portland stone, with a projecting battered and moulded plinth, moulded stringcourse at first floor level, moulded cornice at second floor level from which rise giant Ionic columns with moulded bases and carved capitals, running through the second and third storeys, surmounted by the main cornice which has modillions and dentils. Above the main cornice is the attic or fourth floor which has moulded brackets between the windows, continuing the line of each column below, surmounted by an entablature with moulded cornice and stone balustrade, except at each projecting flanking square bay which is blind at the fourth floor level, marked by a segmental pediment, above which is a blocking course surmounted by a pair of massive copper urns. The circular end bays have short Doric pilasters between windows to the fourth floor instead of brackets; above the balustraded parapet the circular bays continue as circular towers with single semi-circular rusticated arched openings between pairs of diagonally placed coupled Corinthian columns carrying a pulvinated frieze and cornice; above the cornice are scrolling brackets with circular openings between, in keyblock surrounds, the whole terminating with a dome-shaped copper roof crowned by a large copper urn finial. The main entrance is set in a projecting two-storey bay with rusticated quoins to extremities, and comprises a semi-circular rusticated arched doorway with a keystone bearing a carved stone cartouche recessed between attached rusticated Doric columns carrying pulvinated frieze blocks and an open segmental pediment with dentil cornice containing a large stone relief carving of the arms of Belfast. Surmounting the pediment is a large carved stone cartouche inscribed ‘Municipal Technical Institute’. The doorway contains a pair of later modern glass doors set immediately in front of the original ornamentally treated wrought iron grille gates. Modern ramps parallel to main front up to main entrance from each side, brick paved, with four steps up to short terrace in front of entrance; moulded stone curving plinth walls with plain railings; modern steel handrails. Windows are as follows: to the ground floor and first floor, rectangular timber, sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1 with horns, set in rusticated surrounds with flat-arched heads containing keyblocks; to the second floor, three-light windows divided by small stone Doric columns containing rectangular fixed lights with top-hung vents (the central lights being modern replacements not to the original pattern), with the columns carrying a frieze and dentil cornice, and small bowed open stone balustrades projecting between the pedestals; to the third floor, three-light windows set in semi-circular rusticated arches, with rectangular timber fixed lights and three-pane semi-circular arched fanlights; to the fourth floor or attic storey, three-light timber Diocletian windows set in stilted semi-circular arches with moulded architraves and keystones. Attic windows to the curved end bays are rectangular headed, containing two-light timber windows set in lugged surrounds with keystone. SOUTH ELEVATION: of similar character, style, materials and storey heights as entrance elevation but with a different arrangement and some differences in detailing. The arrangement comprises a seven-bay central breakfront flanked each side by two-bay recesses, leading to projecting pedimented single bays similar to those of entrance front including a pair of massive copper urn finials surmounting each projecting bay, terminating at the right-hand extremity by the domed circular tower on the corner with the entrance elevation, and at the left-hand extremity by a two-bay recess. The detailing differs in the use of Ionic pilasters to the giant order running through the second and third floors instead of attached columns, and segmental arched three-light windows to the second floor of the main walls instead of tripartite windows with a Doric order carrying a flat entablature. NORTH ELEVATION: similar to the south elevation except that there is no central breakfront between the projecting square bays, and the detailing to the fourth floor is different in part. In the main recessed plane of the fourth floor there is no balustraded parapet: window head height is taller than in the extreme right-hand end bay; windows are large rectangular 12-pane lights set in broad plain surrounds, with a projecting Doric pilaster between each window: pilasters support a plain entablature and blocking course parapet, with a segmental pediment over each alternate window between short pedestals in line with each pilaster. At ground level, the second widow from the right in the recessed main wall has been opened to the ground to form a later doorway. REAR ELEVATION: of plain character compared with the other three main elevations; of five storeys rising to a sixth storey in the central bays which were added in 1910 from first floor level up. Walling of red brick with parapet roofs, except for rectangular spandrel panels of concrete bricks in second and third floors of central bays (modern replacements for original shallow oriels); short returns of Portland stone quoins and cornices from north and south elevations appear at extremities. Above the parapet level, to the left of the 1910 extension, rises a square red brick chimney of tapering profile; and to the right of centre of the elevation is a short red brick chimney above the parapet. Downpipes are both cast iron and pvc; later large modern metal flue pipe, full height. Window openings are mainly segmental arched except for upper two floors of three bays to each end which are semi-circular arched; three large projecting rectangular central bays to first, second, and third floors which were part of the 1910 extension; and rectangular concrete lintels to some windows with segmental brick relieving arches. Windows are original arched timber sliding sash, 2 over 2 with horns; original timber fixed lights with arched toplights; and later replacement modern windows, both timber and pvc. In bay to left of chimney stack, ground floor contains a pair of modern flush timber doors set in a cement rendered infill panel; above, in first floor the window opening contains a decoratively treated wrought iron grille backed by filter material; above, in second floor, the opening contains a similar grille in front of a three-light window. Fifth ground floor opening from left contains high-level louvres. Fifth ground floor opening from right contains an original glazed and panelled segmental headed timber door with glazing now broken and boarded over on inside. Third ground floor opening from right contains a pair of rectangular flush timber doors with arched four-pane fanlight, reached by flight of concrete steps. Wide central opening on ground floor has been later bricked up, and to left of that there is also a rectangle of modern brickwork containing four modern louvred openings. INTERIOR OPEN COURTS: exterior faces of interior open courts (visible only from within the building) are of glazed white brickwork; they contain segmental arched window openings with original arched timber sliding sash windows, vertically hung, 1 over 1, and 2 over 2, with horns, except for large windows of Central Hall running through first and second floors which are of decorative leaded lights. ROOFS: Roofs of single storey rooms on ground floor within open courts are of hipped form and glazed. Room of transverse wing (containing Central Hall) is double pitched, of Bangor blue slates in regular courses, with flush rooflights. Roofs of east, south, west, and north wings are flat, covered with asphalt, with glazed north-lights; chimneys of red brick with original red pots; large circular conically capped metal ventilators to stairwells. SETTING: the building stands in a central urban area of the city, facing directly onto two main roads on the east and north side, while its south side overlooks the large front lawn of an adjacent school, and the west side overlooks a tarmac access road to the school and the school buildings themselves. The
setting to the south allows medium range views of the entire south elevation, while from much further south, looking north along Great Victoria Street, the domical roofs of this building are conspicuous on the skyline. On the north side the building faces a range of early 19th century buildings, while on the east side the building faces late 20th century modern buildings. In long views from the east along Wellington Place the building forms a prominent element just in front of, and partly obscuring the main front of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Architects

Stevenson, Samuel

Historical Information

Built in 1900-6 to the designs of the architect Samuel Stevenson of Belfast; builders, W.J. Campbell & Son; leaded lights and stained glass by Ward & Partners, of Belfast; ornamental stone and wood carving by Purdy and Millard of Belfast. Designs submitted to Belfast City Council in August 1900; tenders invited February 1902; building work started May 1902; foundation stone laid 24 November 1902, by Lord Lieutenant and Lady Dudley; design altered during construction in 1904 to accommodate an additional or fifth storey; part of building in operation by September 1906 before construction work had entirely finished; official opening on 30 October 1907 by the Lord Lieutenant, Lord Aberdeen; tenders invited for extensions in January 1909; extensions opened on 3 May 1910 by Lord Mayor of Belfast. Before preparing the plans Stevenson visited a number of similar buildings in England and Germany to study room arrangements. The building originally accommodated such separate departments as Building Trades, Textile Industries, Physics and Electrical Engineering, Pure and Applied Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and the School of Art. Each department was grouped together in a suite of rooms, except where heavy machinery was needed, all such machinery for all departments being placed on the ground floor. At completion in 1907 the building contained 128 rooms; it was ventilated and heated by the Plenum System, and was lit by electricity; a complete system of intercommunication telephone lines was installed and each room was fitted with a clock dial, the hands on each dial being electrically controlled by a master clock located on the ground floor. The entire top floor was given over to the School of Art as it could be entirely top lit by roof lights. The possibility of future extension was apparently anticipated in the layout of the rear wing which was originally finished to one storey height in the central bays. Date of replacement of original marble flooring to entrance hall and vestibule by terrazzo, not recorded. Date of insertion of timber coffered ceiling in vestibule not recorded but it was as a result of a terrorist explosion which reportedly caused cracking to the original barrel-vaulted ceiling above. Date of replacement of original timber doors between vestibule and entrance hall by modern metal framed glazed doors, not recorded. The ‘Plenum’ system of heating and ventilation was of special interest at the time it was installed. The principles of the system had been established only as recently as 1889. It was employed in some large-scale buildings during the 1890s, and introduced to local architecture in the design of the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1899, the only other large-scale use so far recorded in Northern Ireland. The plant as used in the system here at the Belfast Municipal Technical Institute (or Belfast College of Technology as it was later known) was manufactured and installed by Musgrave & Co. of Belfast. As originally installed the plant consisted of a duplicate set of Musgrave’s patent ‘Rainbow’ type air purifiers which drew in the supply of fresh air at high level. The air, after being washed and screened, entered the heating chamber, where it passed over tempering coils. It was then distributed throughout the building by a pair of large ‘Ulster’ Centrifugal Fans. The distribution was effected by air-ways under the ground floor corridor, and from this main trunk the air supply found its way by shafts to the different rooms and departments. The temperature of each individual room was further controlled by separate subsidiary heaters placed at the base of each of the flues leading to the rooms. The fresh air entered the rooms some eight or nine feet from the floor level, and the vitiated air passed out of the rooms near the floor into the corridors. From the corridors it found its way out of the building by large turret ventilators at the heads of the staircases. The heating medium adopted was low-pressure hot water, and the installation was specially designed so that the system would work either naturally by gravity or under forced and accelerated circulation by mechanical means. The fans were arranged so that they could be driven together or independently. The principal drive was by a 60 h.p. direct coupled steam engine, the exhaust from this engine being utilised in the heating system. A 45 h.p. electric motor was provided as a standby, and for driving the fans when no heat was required. The installation was specially arranged so that the heating of certain rooms in the art section (in the fourth floor) could be carried out independently of the rest of the building. This was effected by an auxiliary system of direct radiation. Almost all of this original machinery and equipment remains intact and is still functioning. References – Primary Sources 1. Irish Builder, 15 May 1900, p 357-8 (comment on the appointment of the architect). 2. Irish Builder, 13 February 1902, p 992 (invitation to tender). 3. Original drawings submitted for building approval to Belfast City Council, in Building Control Office, Belfast City Hall, dated 30 June 1902, with drawings for extension at rear dated 16 February 1902: application no. 15100. 4. Irish Builder, 4 December 1902, p 1510 (report on laying of foundation stone). 5. Irish Builder, 21 May 1904, p 302 (reference to decision to add an additional storey during construction). 6. Belfast Newsletter, 31 October 1907 (report on opening). 7. Belfast Evening Telegraph, 31 October 1907 (report on opening). 8. Irish Builder, 2 November 1907, illustrated supplement f.p. 756, and pp 768 and 769 (report on the opening). 9. Irish Builder, 16 November 1907, pp 778, 781, 782, and 785 (details of accommodation and building services, and list of sub-contractors). 10. Irish Builder, 23 January 1909, p 50 (tenders invited for building additions to the college). 11. Original photograph by R.J. Welch, in collection of Ulster Museum: ref no. W10/21/34. Secondary Sources 1. R.M. Young, Belfast and the Province of Ulster in the 20th Century (Brighton, 1909), p 113. 2. R. Marshall, The Book of Belfast (Belfast, 1937), pp 93-94. 3. C.E.B. Brett, Buildings of Belfast (London, 1967), pp 59-60. 4. W.A. Maguire, Caught in time: the photographs of Alexander Hogg of Belfast 1870-1939 (Belfast, 1986), pp 104-106 (photographs of interiors of the College of Technology). 5. P. Larmour, Belfast: An Illustrated Architectural Guide (Belfast, 1987), p 65. 6. M. Patton, Central Belfast: A Historical Gazetteer (Belfast, 1993), p 74.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form G. Innovatory Qualities H+. Alterations enhancing the building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

Z. Rarity W. Northern Ireland/International Interest Z. Rarity V. Authorship Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance

Evaluation

A large free-standing five-storey building in Baroque Revival style, built of Portland stone to the front and sides, and brick to the rear, with domical corner turrets to each end of the main entrance elevation. This is an Edwardian building designed on an impressive scale, which is a good example of the short-lived Baroque Revival of the time, and one which not only retains most of its original architectural fabric and decorative features intact but also retains an early and probably now rare survival of the ‘Plenum’ system of mechanical ventilation still functioning today. It enjoys a pleasant setting partly overlooking an adjacent school lawn, of apropriate scale for this part of the city and with nearby buildings in a complementary classical style.

General Comments

Date of Survey

28 February 2004