Princes Buildings

Princes Buildings is a group of shops and offices located on Oxford Street in Manchester. The building was entirely rebuilt in the late 20th century, but the facade dates back to 1903 and was designed by I.R.E. Birkett. It is constructed of pale buff brick with matching terracotta dressings and is designed in the Art Nouveau style.

The structure has four storeys and features eight bays, along with an attic, except over the eighth bay. The facade is characterized by an impressive attic that includes five bays of three- and two-light windows, which are framed by semi-circular sunk parapets that create an undulating line. This is punctuated by eight tall chimneys and elaborate open balustrades in the first and seventh bays.

On the ground floor, there is a round-headed archway in the first bay, shallow segmental-headed arches in the seventh and eighth bays, and square-headed openings in the remaining bays, most of which have arched glazing. The piers between the openings are decorated in the Art Nouveau style. The first and seventh bays feature giant three-storey segmental arches that contain two-storey canted oriels. The intermediate bays have two-light windows with Lombard friezes, while the eighth bay has four-light windows on the first and second floors with dropped sills for the center lights. All windows are surrounded by elaborate terracotta enrichment.