Furness House, Forward House, Equity Chambers And Auburn House

A wool warehouse and office chambers, built around 1890. The building is constructed of dressed sandstone, appearing like brick, with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. It rises five storeys plus an attic, with 26 windows facing west, 10 windows facing north, 11 windows facing south, and 7 windows facing east, plus a single window at each of the three canted corners. The base is rusticated, the ground floor is ashlar, and it features cill bands and a dentillated eaves cornice. Numerous wall stacks are present. The ground-floor windows have segmental heads, while those above are flat-headed. The facade facing Piccadilly has a central projecting bay with ashlar pilasters rising through all floors to a pedimented dormer. A central segment-headed doorway is accompanied by small windows on either side. Above, a tripartite window in a moulded ashlar surround is found on each floor, with a rounded head to the dormer. Ashlar door surrounds are at each of the three canted corners, with pilaster strips on the flanking side windows. All windows have moulded ashlar hoods and impost bands. Each corner is topped with a pedimented dormer containing a round-headed window and flanking parapets. The east and south facades include large loading entrances with pedimented ashlar surrounds. This is a large and architecturally impressive example of a late Victorian wool warehouse and office complex. The building incorporates Nos 8 Forward House, Duke Street, as well as Nos 40 and 42 Equity Chambers & Auburn House, Piccadilly.