Prudential Assurance Office

The Prudential Assurance Office is an office building located on King Street in Manchester, constructed between 1888 and 1896 by architect Alfred Waterhouse. The building features blood-red brick and terracotta, with a grey granite ground floor. It has a deep rectangular plan that occupies most of the island site, with a splayed corner on the left side. The structure rises four storeys, plus a modern attic, and consists of six bays along with the corner bay, where the second and sixth bays project forward slightly. The ground floor is arcaded and faced with granite, featuring round-headed arches that mostly contain plate-glass windows. The upper floors have round-headed windows, primarily of two lights, with the wider first bay including single-light windows as well. The second-floor windows have transoms, while the third-floor windows are smaller. Corbel tables are present at the first bay and from the third to the fifth bays. The original gabled roofline and tower have been replaced with a rebuilt parapet. The corner and the long left return wall are similar in design. The interior of the building has been remodelled.