The Ritz Dance Hall

MANCHESTER

SJ8397 WHITWORTH STREET WEST 698-1/31/442 (North side) The Ritz Dance Hall

II

Dance hall. 1927, altered. Brick with white glazed terracotta facade, roof not visible. Rectangular plan at right-angles to street. Free C20 classical style. Two storeys, 1:7:1 bays, symmetrical; with plinth, channelled rustication to ground floor, horizontal canopy over ground floor suspended on tie-rods (and now with C20 fascia), pilastered upper floor, cornice and stepped parapet. The ground floor has a wide central entrance with a range of C20 doors, and 3 small windows to the outer bays (all either blocked or blind) with keystones and voussoirs; the upper floor has a pilastraded 7-bay panel with moulded surround including roundels, vertical-rectangular windows with moulded cornices in the 5 central bays with moulded ornament above them, and blind windows in the 1st and 7th; the end bays have paired windows in sunk panels, with similar cornices. Interior: original features such as balcony with Tuscan columns, pilastered walls, revolving stage (no longer functional) flanked by staircases (altered). History: venue of most of the well-known dance-bands of the 1930s and 40s. Included as now rare example of its type and date, representing earlier C20 popular culture.

Listing NGR: SJ8396997550