Alliance House

MANCHESTER

SJ8398SE CROSS STREET 698-1/27/73 (West side) 03/10/74 Nos.28 TO 34 (Even) Alliance House

GV II

Life insurance company offices. 1901, by Heathcote and Rawle; altered. Sandstone ashlar, slate roof. Trapeziform plan on end-of-block site. Eclectic style with French Renaissance elements. Four storeys and attic plus 2-stage turret, with 6-bay facade to Cross Street and 3-bay facade to St Ann Street hinged on an octagonal corner turret, with cornices over the 2nd and 3rd floors and shaped-gable dormers to the attic with parapets and chimneys between them; ground floor altered. The 2nd and 6th bays to Cross Street, and the centre bay to St Ann Street, project slightly through the 1st and 2nd floors, with coupled windows to both floors, carved spandrels to the upper windows and balustraded parapets above; otherwise, all windows on these floors are single-light sashes without glazing bars, those at 2nd floor round-headed; the 3rd floor has coupled round-headed windows with diagonal shafts and recessed sashes, and the attic dormers have sashes with 2-pane lower leaves and enriched gables with finials. The corner has curved sashes set behind free-standing colonnettes, a balustraded parapet over the 2nd floor with carved cresting surmounted by a pedestalled statue displaying a shield; the turret rising behind her has single-light windows to the 2nd stage, a pierced parapet with finials, and a domed cupola. Interior not inspected.

Listing NGR: SJ8385698379