Jodrell Bank Observatory: Control Building

Jodrell Bank Observatory: Control Building

This is a university building for scientific research, completed in 1955 by an unknown architect, commissioned by Sir Bernard Lovell. It has undergone early extensions and later twentieth-century alterations.

The building adopts a linear rectangular plan aligned roughly north to south, comprising a single-storey structure with a central two-storey block and rooftop additions. It is constructed of red-brown brick with concrete detailing. The building stands to the south-east of the Lovell radio-telescope and is linked to it at basement level by a tunnel. It was positioned at a distance from the telescope specifically to allow the telescope operator to view the instrument fully from the control room.

The walls are built of red-brown brick in Flemish bond, with window surrounds of concrete and metal casement windows throughout, unless otherwise noted. The main entrance occupies the east wall within a short two-storey central block. Access is via two steps with an adjacent modern ramp and handrails. Two full-glazed timber doors are set within a glass-block surround and oversailed by a concrete canopy, details characteristic of the period. Above the canopy are five equally-spaced square recesses and a coped soldier-course parapet with modern safety barrier. To the right is a single-storey block featuring a continuous glazed strip of ten windows separated by mullions, each window divided into nine lights of three sizes. Cast-iron hoppers and downpipes at either end are fed by chutes through the parapet. To the left of the entrance, the ground floor presents a similar arrangement with a five-window strip. Above this glazing and a flashing strip sits a timber rooftop extension with five smaller windows. To the left, a two-storey glazed timber stair tower is set slightly back, glazed only at first-floor level. Further left, the original east wall is largely obscured by the concrete podium building of the 42-Foot telescope. Above the surviving brick wall is a single-storey glazed timber rooftop extension. The left-hand end comprises the blind brick wall of a short eastward extension with an attached fire-escape; the timber first floor is set back and does not extend over this addition.

The south wall features a short single-storey section at the right with a three-window strip matching the east wall style, with rainwater pipes flanking it and a parapet with modern safety barrier. At the left is the original south wall, centred on a door with adjacent windows lighting the former office of the Director. Above the lintels is a single-storey timber rooftop extension with two central windows. Set well back at the left is the south wall of the central block, dominated by a large control-room window of twelve panes of differing sizes. Below this lie small windows of the semi-basement extension surrounding the control room.

The west wall largely mirrors the east, with strip glazing at ground floor and a glazed timber first-floor extension at the right. The central two-storey block is dominated by a glazed wall of four vertical lights. Below this the west wall is concealed by the semi-basement extension surrounding the control room, built in red brick in stretcher bond with concrete dressings. A small timber entrance extension lies to the left. Behind these additions, and visible between them, stands the original west wall with strip glazing matching the east wall. Various air-conditioning units are fitted to the west walls. The north wall is obscured by a late 1960s extension on a cranked alignment. The roof of the northern wing retains chimney-like features thought to relate to air extraction.

Internally, the lobby provides theatrical access to the principal control room. The ceiling comprises a grid of concrete beams supported by a pair of columns with simple capitals. Beyond these columns, steps rise along the rear wall from left and right to a small central landing with recessed doorways flanked by wing walls. The rear wall of the landing is glazed with windows that lean away at the top, affording views into the control room; this was the original control room access, though now superseded. The steps' inner face is gently concave, and against this, between the columns, sits a bespoke curved oak bench whose back profile follows the outward-leaning step risers. The metal balustrade with oak handrail carries a plaque recording the construction of the Lovell Telescope and listing the contractors. To the left of the main entrance, similar stairs—two flights at an acute angle—lead to the first floor, finished in tiled terrazzo with angled risers and an elegantly ramped handrail.

The far corners contain doors leading to the spine corridor, whose east wall was originally external. The southern side retains a quarry-tile sill and recessed blocking within the original long opening, while the northern corridor shows no visible evidence of this former external exposure. Original offices in the south wing remain largely intact; the Director's office for ACB Lovell retains its door, parquet flooring, and grid-pattern radiators. The boardroom in the projecting south-east extension has been subdivided but retains its interior character. Other rooms in the north and south wings have modern carpet and vinyl finishes, though parquet survives beneath, indicating original partition lines; all radiators are original. The lecture room now houses a large supercomputer processing data from coordinated international observations.

The control room retains its highly evocative U-shaped central console, original though with some updated controls and believed to retain the original desktop beneath a later upgrade. The room features four very large windows at the west end framing the view of the Lovell telescope, with large side windows providing abundant natural light. A partial false-ceiling conceals later ductwork and also the windows that originally overlooked the control room from the first-floor gallery.

The original first-floor gallery retains windows overlooking the control room, now blocked with boarding.