Albert Chambers

MANCHESTER

SJ8398SE ALBERT SQUARE 698-1/27/2 (South side) 03/10/74 No.16 Albert Chambers (Formerly Listed as: ALBERT SQUARE (South side) Nos.16 TO 18 (Consecutive))

GV II

Formerly erroneously included with No.18 (q.v.). Offices. 1873, by Clegg and Knowles, for Manchester Corporation Gasworks; altered. Sandstone ashlar, slate roof. Rectangular plan. Venetian style. Basement and 4 storeys, a 5-window facade horizontally divided between 1st and 2nd floors, the lower portion treated as a regular 5-bay arcade of round-headed arches with pilasters which have carved caps, and the upper portion with windows grouped 1:4:1 in panels, a Lombard frieze to each panel and another over the whole, with a moulded cornice and embattled parapet. The doorway in the 5th bay has lion-mask brackets to the lintel, a semicircular fanlight, a 2-centred arched extrados and a carved tympanum including mask, lion and unicorn. All the windows are sashed without glazing bars, those at ground floor segmental-headed, those at 1st floor round-headed with foliated sills, imposts and hoodmoulds; above this level, the 3-bay centre has an unusual prominent sill on brackets and most of the windows have rounded trefoil heads except those in the centre of the 2nd floor which are square-headed and have shafts with foliated caps. Interior not inspected. History: formerly occupied by Manchester School of Music.

Listing NGR: SJ8377998039