Description

Douglas H Bamber, 1954 with rooftop additions. 3-storey L-plan laboratory block in International Modern style of "The New Look" era. 5-stage tower at corner angle. Brick with visible reinforced concrete framework to principal elevations and concrete dressings; pre- rendered facing blocks at corners. Concrete architraves to smaller windows; concrete lintels and sills to larger ones. Flat roofs with concrete wallhead coping.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance to single storey flat-roofed porch to far right; concrete steps up to 2-leaf glass doors in glazed surround; brick flanking walls project forward along steps to form outer porch; re-entrant angles to either side infilled with brick planters; left side forms base of tower and is studded with protruding headers of contrasting colour. 5-stage tower partly protrudes from re-entrant angle between 2 wings: central glazed stair window divided vertically by 6 concrete mullions; concrete architrave; 13 bays to wing to left; horizontally banded windows divided vertically by projecting concrete strips to central 8-bay section. Rendered bay to left; wide tripartite window with concrete window box to 1st floor. Recessed bay to far left contains 40-pane stair window; projecting planter below. Adjoins later harled structure to left.

E ELEVATION: 12-bay section with horizontally banded windows divided vertically by projecting concrete strips; 4-bay harled section to left: French windows with railed balconies (railings slope outwards towards top to give basket-like appearance) to 1st and 2nd floors of left bay; wide tripartite window with concrete window box to 1st floor to right. Projecting single storey brick section containing main entrance hall to left wraps around left bay of harled section; large window to right flanked by slightly projecting walls; left section infilled by planter. Tower (blind on this side) partly protrudes from re-entrant angle between 2 wings; partly set back into harled section to right. Recessed bay to far left contains 40-pane stair window; projecting planter below.

W ELEVATION (N WING): 400-pane glazed wall (providing light to former drawing offices) to 1st and 2nd floors; irregular pattern of fenestration and entrances below; entrance to stairwell set back to left. Recessed bay to right; projecting bay to re-entrant angle.

N ELEVATION (W WING): 4 bays divided by vertical projecting concrete strips to right. 6 bays set back to left.

Steel framed windows predominantly with side and top-hung casements (PVCu double glazing added to inside in some parts). Concrete wallhead coping to roof; N wing is surmounted by later single storey corrugated metal structure. Metal dome to top of tower is also an addition.

INTERIOR: major elements of plan (corridors with rooms opening off them) remain intact, although many partition walls have been removed. Cantilevered dog-leg staircases.

GATEWAYS: main gateway is to E along Crewe Road North: 2 double gates with pedestrian entrance to N (2nd pedestrian entrance has been added to S at later date). Original gatepiers: brick with brick cornices and concrete coping; short section of coped wall studded with protruding headers of contrasting colour (defaced along roadside) to N. Minor gateway to Crewe Toll; reinforced concrete perimeter fence posts support gates; concrete steps down to main entrance flanked by brick parapet walls with concrete coping; central handrail. Plain steel gates.

GATEHOUSE: sited immediately to NW of main gateway. Single storey, rectangular plan; brick with projecting concrete roof. S elevation is cut away slightly to right where the projecting roof is supported on cast iron post; window with door immediately to right, all surrounded by projecting concrete frame; harled panel beneath window. Central entrance to E elevation; single window to left. 4 bays to W elevation. All openings with projecting concrete architraves; all windows PVCu.

Statement of Interest

A good example of 1950's design in a prominent location. Of particular interest is the corner tower with its slender mullions and low brick porch.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17811258

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)