Description

FOLKESTONE

737/0/10033 SANDGATE ROAD
20-FEB-07 70 AND 72
Former gas showroom

II
Showrooms and offices. Built in 1938, architect John Love Seaton Dahl (1884-1965), builder Otto Marx. Moderne style.

MATERIALS: Faced in brick in stretcher bond with rusticated stone ground floor and polished black granite plinth. The flat roof has four hipped metal and glazed rooflights lighting the rear part of the first floor.

PLAN: The ground floor and basement were showrooms, the first floor had a rear cookery demonstration theatre and there were some small offices to the front of the first and second floors, all accessed by a right side staircase.

EXTERIOR: The main part of the building is of three storeys and three windows, with a taller slightly projecting staircase tower to the right. There are three recessed metal Crittall windows to the upper floors, taller to the first floor, divided by angled brick pillars. The ground floor retains the original shopfront which has a central entrance flanked by two polished granite pilasters, original street numbering and two large shopfronts, each with three pivoting casements above and polished granite stall risers. Two later fascias have been applied but an early photograph shows original lettering "The Folkestone Gas and Coke Company" applied directly to the top of the stonework of the shopfront. The right side staircase tower has a full-height vertical window of four narrow lights with corrugated opaque glass.

INTERIOR: The ground floor has coved plaster cornices with scallop and interlocking circle motifs, partly damaged, and three axial beams with coved cornices. The basement has an undivided space with four pared down fluted columns on each side with alcoves, accessed through a round-headed entrance flanked by two round-headed niches. The first floor has a round-headed archway with corridor leading to a rear theatre for cookery demonstrations. This has a curved cornice with Art Deco curved decorations, rectangular metal and glazed skylights, a pair of original wooden flush doors with octagonal glazed peepholes and two angled walls, each with a false round-headed door and smaller round-headed opening above. The front parts of both first and second floors have small offices. The main staircase is ovoid-shaped, cantilevered off the wall. It has a metal handrail and railings, it was finished in speckled yellow aggregate, has a circular shell motif fanlight and a series of eight engraved and frosted curved Lalique style glass panels, designed to be lit from behind, with marine emblems, including two panels with mermaids, one of seagulls, the remainder of sea creatures including dolphins and angel fish. It is thought that these panels were originally lit by neon lighting, possibly green.

HISTORY: The building was designed as the Folkestone Gas and Coke Company showrooms. It was opened on 6th August 1938 by the Mayor of Folkestone and the ceremony attended by many local dignitaries. At the time the Folkestone, Hythe and District Herald described it as "a building on modern lines with an imposing facade, designed throughout on the most modern lines". The purpose-built theatre for cookery demonstrations was a particular feature. The local papers of August 1938 stated that visitors from miles around flocked to Folkestone to see the building, not only to admire the fabulous interior but also to view the exterior which was illuminated with neon lighting.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: A stylish Moderne style purpose-built gas showrooms with offices designed by a notable architect. It has an imposing, little altered, exterior of good quality materials and the interior retains its plan form, including a purpose-built theatre for cookery demonstrations on the first floor. The interior has Art Deco style details and fittings including a fine ovoid staircase with engraved glass panels with marine emblems. Purpose-built Inter-war gas showrooms are now a rare building type and this compares well with the three listed nationally.

SOURCES:
Folkestone , Hythe and District Herald, August 1938.
Brian McBride's unpublished article "J L Seaton Dahl and the Folkestone Gas and Coke Company's Showroom". 2007.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26671219

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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