Lion Buildings

Lion Buildings is a large, three-storey building of 1853, designed by J P Pritchett. Constructed from ashlar sandstone, it features a hipped slate roof. The building is composed of rounded sections and pavilions, with a central pavilion projecting forward and a prominent central frontispiece.

The frontispiece is distinguished by coupled columns on each floor: attached Tuscan columns on the ground floor, and detached composite columns above. A pediment and parapet with entablature tops the columns, accompanied by paired pilasters and a large, free-standing coade stone statue of a lion by Seeley. The corners of each pavilion are marked on the first floor by paired attached composite columns, with the outer ones being square. Additional paired composite columns are present on the first floor between each pavilion, and single columns are spaced around the curves of the end pavilions.

The elevation facing St Peter's Street features three pairs of Tuscan pilasters, one at the corner with Wood Street and two others flanking the central group of windows. The ground floor now has modern shopfronts, separated by rusticated and vermiculated pilasters. It includes an arched central doorway with moulded voussoirs and imposts, and a keystone bearing a dragon and crown. A dentilled cornice runs along the top.

A mezzanine level has been inserted below the ground floor cornice on the Northumberland Street elevation, framed by Tuscan pilasters in a repeating pattern of major and minor pilasters. The first floor has a full entablature that breaks forward and is dentilled above each pair of columns, with a stone balcony on scrolled consoles supporting the windows of the frontispiece.

The windows are round-arched sashes with moulded voussoirs, separated by Ionic colonnettes. The window groupings vary across the different elevations. On the Northumberland Street elevation, the rhythm is 1-1-1-2 (crowned by a pediment)-1-1-1. End pavilion windows are arranged 2-3-2. The St George's Square elevation displays groupings of 4-4, with the central pavilion showing 4-3 (the central window slightly wider and higher), followed by another 4-4. The St Peter’s Street elevation is arranged 2-1-2-1-2. The second floor mirrors the first visually, with a modillioned entablature except at the end pavilions, where the modillions become consoles. The fenestration is similar to the first floor, but the St George's Square elevation has a different grouping of windows: 2-1-2-2-1-2-2-1-2.

The building’s otherwise seemingly chaotic design achieves order above the eaves cornice. The end pavilions have a solid parapet with a cornice bearing “Lion Arcade” in relief, piers with ornamental caps, and large ornamental scrolls. The central pavilion features a balustrade with a moulded rail, square Tuscan columns with ornamental caps at the ends, and square Ionic balusters. Above the frontispiece is a further parapet, displaying "1853" in relief and crowned by the lion statue.