Arcade Royale

SE 0925 SW HALIFAX KING EDWARD STREET (North side) 679/14/10189 Nos.4-22 (Even), Arcade Royale 07.02.2000 II

Includes: Arcade Royale, Nos.28 and 30 SOUTHGATE, HALIFAX Shopping arcade. Opened 5 October 1912. By Clement Williams and sons, Halifax, for Walter Midgley. Marvo composite glazed stone, terracotta, and reinforced concrete floors. Marvo and terracotta by the Leeds Fireclay Co. Rectangular block with main entrance on King Edward Street, arcade inserted through Nos 28 and 30 Commercial Street (q.v.), and further entrance on Southgate. Free Baroque style. EXTERIOR: Two low storeys, 1:1:3:3:3:1x 4 windows. Elevation to King Edward Street has renewed glazed doors in entrance at left under semicircular overlight with elaborate wrought iron grille; door surround of pilasters with decorated capitals supporting moulded arch under deep dripmould. ARCADE ROYALE in large faience letters over door; balustraded roof parapet above. At right, main elevation has end and central pavilions, the left domed with renewed glazing to ground floor shop. First floor has panelled pilasters with top cartouches which support elaborately stepped cornice breaking forward over inner Ionic attached columns. Set back between these, a curved plate glass window with shallow segmental heads and slim mullions, with art nouveau motif on entablature; set back above this window a tall round-headed light has art nouveau glazing bars; window surround has hollow chamfer and long keystone rising to semicircular pediment with deep modillions. Pilasters supporting pediment rise at either side as short domed piers flanking tall octagonal lantern with faience panelled dome. Central pavilion has central curved window on first floor flanked by round first floor arches under extended keystone form eaves parapet, with end drop panels; right end pavilion has dripstring over round headed window. Intermediate bays have linking full width ground floor cornices, and 3 light mullion and transom windows below recessed panels, the bays defined by paired long brackets to modillioned eaves cornice with blocking course. Low pitched roofs hipped behind central and right pavilions. Right return to Southgate has arched second bay with ARCADE ROYALE below curved bay window, and octagonal domed tower behind. INTERIOR: shows detail obscured by shop fittings. The former Arcade survives on the upper floor with wooden glazed roof and original windows. Single faience tiled staircase survives to basement. Part of a very significant group of buildings in the centre of the town and in the vicinity of the Town Hall(qv), Borough Market(qv), and Lloyds Bank(qv). (Gee S: Old Halifax: Leeds: 1987-: 17).

Listing NGR: SE0929925068