Armstrong Building

Armstrong Building

College of Science, built for the University of Durham between 1887 and 1906. Designed by Robert J Johnson, F W Rich and W H Knowles. The building is constructed of red brick with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs, rising to three storeys plus attics.

The main street front is 15 windows wide, arranged in a pattern of 2, 5, 1, 5, 2. The central bay is dominated by a tall seven-storey square tower with octagonal corner turrets. At ground level, a central round-headed doorway sits within a moulded ashlar surround, topped by a projecting Ionic portico with flanking narrow lights. Either side of this are projecting square blocks decorated with niches and Ionic pilasters. Above these rises a large Diocletian window, crossed by pairs of Doric columns with bold corner buttresses topped by symbolic figures. The second floor features 3-light cross casement windows flanked by pairs of Ionic columns, with narrow side lights beyond. The third floor has similar articulation but uses Corinthian columns topped by an open segmental pediment bearing a coat of arms. The next stage is largely blind. The bell stage above has three round-headed openings to each face, the central one articulated with Ionic columns and segmental pediments. This is topped by an ornate stone parapet and octagonal corner towers capped with small domes.

Either side of the tower, 3-storey recessed 5-window ranges feature central windows flanked by canted bay windows, with single windows beyond, all topped by parapets. A recessed attic storey rises above. Gabled end pavilions contain triple ground floor windows in elaborate ashlar surrounds, above which is a blank central arch flanked by single 3-light cross casements. The upper floor has a central recessed window with Ionic columns in antis flanked by cross casements. A balustrade above features a tripartite window in a columned surround within the gables. The coped gables are topped with massive domed corner finials.

Similar gabled wings extend to both returns.

The main irregular quadrangle facade has a central hall section with a large two-storey canted bay window to the right and three hall windows to the left. The left range is heavily buttressed, with a two-window gable beyond a seven-window range and then a projecting end pavilion with gable. The right range has eight windows with alternate buttresses and eight gabled dormer windows. An octagonal turret stands beyond, topped with a glazed cupola capped with an ogee leaded dome.

The south-east rear facade features a Tudor-style central gatehouse with a four-centred stone archway, octagonal corner towers and a four-storey canted oriel window. The top section has similar canted bay windows to the sides and a canted staircase projection to the rear. Flanking facades have tall stepped buttresses with 3-light windows to the lower two floors between them and gabled dormer windows above. The right facade has a large canted bay window rising through two floors.

The south-west front presents a simple, plain many-gabled facade, now largely obscured by a two-storey late twentieth-century extension of no special architectural interest.

The interior contains important contemporary decoration in the main entrance hall, marble-lined corridor, main staircase, senate room and great hall. The great hall features wooden panelling, a gallery and an elaborate wooden roof with fine plaster panels.

The foundation stone was laid by Sir W G Armstrong on 15 June 1887. The building was opened by King Edward VII in 1906.