Main Block at St Luke’s Hospital

The Main Block at St Luke’s Hospital is a hospital building, dating from 1852. Originally constructed as the Bradford Union Workhouse, it was designed by Lockwood and Mawson and represents their earliest commission in Bradford, contemporaneous with their work at Saltaire. The building displays simple Italianate detailing, drawing parallels with features at Saltaire.

The building comprises single-storey ranges flanking a two-storey entrance pavilion, closest to the road. The ground floor features arcaded windows. The two-storey central section has a three-bay front, with paired, archivolt-arched, pilastered windows on the first floor, a sill band, and single arched windows on the ground floor. A large, projecting portal is present, featuring an archivolt arch rising from squat piers and a heavy, bracketed cornice above. The main block sits behind and is constructed on an H-shaped plan with a long forecourt.

The three-storey sandstone "brick" construction has ashlar dressings. A five-bay, broad cross range has a central break of three windows. The building features sill bands and deep, flat eaves supported by modillion brackets. A slight central recess above the break is surmounted by a pilastered belvedere topped with a pyramid roof. The first floor incorporates archivolt-arched windows linked by an impost string. The ground and second floors have plain linteled windows, with some retaining glazing bar sashes. The top floor of the central break features a triple grouping of smaller arched windows, the centre of which is glazed. The principal entrance mirrors the design of the portal in the entrance pavilion. The wings have low-pitched gabled fronts with overhanging eaves, which project over a central grouping of three arcaded windows. Engaged columns divide the windows on the second floor, while solid ashlar balconettes are present on the first-floor windows. The eleven-bay side elevations exhibit similar detailing to the front. The centre three bays project forward, with the eaves extending into a low-pitched gable. Low octagonal lanterns with lunettes and inverted consoles rise from the ridge intersection of the cross wings and the main block, breaking the cornice.