Electricity Board Showrooms

Electricity Showrooms, now showrooms and dance studio. Built in 1937 by Leonard Pye, Borough Engineer and Architect, for Cleethorpes Borough Electricity Committee. The building is constructed of red engineering brick with a front of finely-jointed concrete blocks in Art Deco style.

The plan is U-shaped. The main south-west range contains a large showroom with a central lift to the rear flanked by staircases, a round tower adjoining at the southern corner, and offices and workshops in wings flanking a rear courtyard. The building is 2 storeys with a 3-storey tower.

The main south-west front facing Grimsby Road has 3 bays. A tripartite shopfront features a central recessed entrance between single-light plate-glass windows. The surround is polished metal and coloured glass in Art Deco "Classical" style. The central entrance bay is flanked by projecting pilasters framed by ribbed metal strips enclosing a plain white panelled lower section and a black glass upper frieze section with a gold lightning flash motif. Above are 3 narrow metal-framed bands containing painted glass bearing flame motifs. The recessed entrance has an oak frame with double doors fitted with original polished metal bar handles, beneath a stepped frieze and overlight. The flanking plate-glass windows are in metal surround with upper frieze of lemon yellow glass and triple flame bands. The moulded panelled soffit has original metal-framed faceted glass light and a mosaic tiled floor. Side windows have similar upper friezes with triple flame bands. A sunshade awning box above has a ribbed metal front.

The first floor has a balcony with moulded coping and 3 projecting coped piers. Above this, a recessed section has large recessed metal-framed windows each of 3 lights with geometric glazing bars, central 2-fold French windows and single upper centrally-pivoted casements, with ornate leaded glass bearing chevron bands, lozenge and fan motifs in green, gold and frosted glass. An upper parapet balcony matches that on the first floor.

A partly-projecting tower to the right has a plain ground-floor stage, a first-floor stage with incised horizontal bands, and a top stage with a pair of narrow windows with glazing bars and diamond and chevron patterns in blue and red glass, flanking an openwork metal clockface. The top is flat with coped edges and a central flagpole.

The left side of the south-west front has a curved projection matching the tower, with a plain ground-floor and incised first-floor sections, and a short projecting coped parapet above.

The roof is flat with a central projecting lift tower.

The right return to Prince's Road has 6 irregular bays. A narrow recessed 3rd bay has a 2-fold 6-fielded panel door with leaded glass overlight. The 1st bay is similar to the west front with a plate-glass shopwindow in polished metal and painted glass surround. The remaining bays have 3-light leaded-glass windows. The first-floor balcony is similar to the main front, with a segmental bowed section with single incised band above the entrance. Incised bands appear on the tower. A large recessed 3-light window to the 1st bay is similar to those on the main front. The second bay has a narrower 3-light window. A recessed half-glazed panelled door and overlight open to the 3rd bay. The bays to the right have a wide central 3-light window similar to the west front, flanked by narrower single-light windows. All first floor doors, overlights and windows have ornate glazing similar to the main front. A parapet balcony appears to the first 2 bays, rounded to the right end, with parapet and moulded coping to the remainder.

Interior

The oak-panelled entrance to the lift bears a brass plaque inscribed: "BOROUGH OF CLEETHORPES THESE ELECTRICITY SHOWROOMS WERE OPENED ON THE 14TH MAY 1937 BY HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR OF CLEETHORPES ALDERMAN E HOUGHTON JPCC COUNC. J CROFT BAKER CC CHAIRMAN ELECTRICITY COMMITTEE ALBERT S BARTER LEONARD PYE AMICE TOWN CLERK BOROUGH ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT TOWLE BROS LTD. B A LORD AIEE BUILDERS BOROUGH ELECTRICAL ENGINEER"

Open well cantilevered staircases flank each side of the lift shaft. They have composite stone treads, curtail steps, ramped and wreathed handrails, and wrought-iron balustrades with geometric and scrolled motifs. The open box-section foot-newels bear fan and rosette ornament.

The wide landing behind the lift shaft has a central 3-light window with stained glass depicting a sailing ship in a roundel, and single side-windows with stained-glass sunburst motifs. A stepped cornice and a pair of large domed rooflights with radial glazing bars are present. Original metal-framed glass-panelled electric wall lights remain.

The first floor front room, now a dancing studio, has a 3-bay ceiling with stepped cornices and 3 large stepped-drum shaped electric ceiling lights. The lift entrance here is obscured by an inserted partition. The remainder of the interior has not been investigated.

This is a well-preserved example of Art Deco architecture and the best surviving example in Humberside.