St James Buildings

MANCHESTER

SJ8497NW OXFORD STREET 698-1/32/267 (East side) 20/06/88 Nos.65 TO 95 (Odd) St James' Buildings

GV II

Commercial building. 1912, by Clegg, Fryer and Penman. Steel frame with facade of Portland stone; green slated mansard roof. Very large rectangular plan. Neo-Baroque style. Eight storeys plus dormers, 3:6:3:6:3 bays, symmetrical, the centre and the ends breaking forwards slightly; ground to 2nd floors treated as rustic, with channelled masonry, ground and 1st floors set in arcaded round-headed openings with massive polished granite plinths to the piers, shops at ground floor and lunettes at 1st floor, triple keystones to the arches. The centre and ends have balustraded balconies to recessed 2nd-floor windows, and above this level are treated as giant pedimented aedicules (to the 7th and 6th floors respectively), with paired Ionic pilasters framing the windows (projected canted bay windows in the centre at the 1st level), and open pediments (triangular in the centre and segmental at the ends); and the centre has a square tower with stepped Baroque spire. Main entrance in centre bay, with massive round-headed archway. Otherwise, the 2nd-floor windows of the main ranges have aedicules with small balconies, engaged columns and alternating triangular and segmental pediments, and the other floors have 2 smaller windows per bay, all with architraves. Dormer windows to 7th floor. Moulded chimney stacks. Rear and interior not inspected.

Listing NGR: SJ8407497689