Leeds And Holbeck Building Society

LEEDS

714-1/76/10090 VICAR LANE 26-APR-1995 (East side) 90, 92 AND 94 LEEDS AND HOLBECK BUILDING SOCIETY

II

Former Bank, and offices, 1932, to designs by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

MATERIALS: Red brick with extensive Portland stone facings and dressings and a slate roof.

PLAN: Three bays facing Vicar Lane, with single corner bays to each side, corner entrance at the junction of Eastgate and Vicar Lane and a single bay on Eastgate. 4 storeys high.

EXTERIOR: The ground floor is of rusticated Portland stone and has 3 small-paned round arched sash windows to Vicar Lane, 1 to Eastgate, and a corner entrance with square architrave and a cartouche above. Projecting string course at first floor, and ashlar Portland stone above on first floor, which has square small paned windows. Further string course above. Second floor windows are taller, and the bays are defined by giant pilasters rising to the roof level. The two outer windows on the Vicar Lane front, the two corner windows, and the single window on Eastgate, all have stone dressings with swags below and segmental pediments above. The central bay on Vicar Lane is plainer with more brick showing. The third floor windows are similar to the first. The roof has a parapet, mainly of stone, balustraded in places, with swagged decoration on the front corner and stone urns surmounting at intervals.

INTERIOR: The double height ground floor is a large open space with modern fittings. Upper floors are largely integrated into the offices of 1-5 Eastgate and have modern fittings. The junction of the two buildings is marked by a change in floor levels.

HISTORY: The building was part of the grand design for the Headrow and Eastgate, begun in the 1920s to relieve traffic congestion in the centre of Leeds. Sir Reginald Blomfield was commissioned to design buildings along the north side of the new streets, and a number of these were built in the 1920s and 1930s. The former bank was part of an intended quartet of banks at the junction of the Headrow, Vicar Lane and Eastgate, and was completed in 1932. The building is now Connexions on its ground floor, and offices above. The adjoining shops and offices on 1-5 Eastgate were constructed in the mid 1960's.

SOURCES: A. Heap: The Headrow, A Pictorial History: Leeds: 1990-, p50 S Wrathmell: Leeds, Pevsner Architectural Guides, 2005, pp166-170

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE The listed building at 90, 92 & 94 Vicar Lane is a former bank and offices, built in 1932 as part of Sir Reginald Blomfield's design for the Headrow/Eastgate.As such it is of both architectural and historic significance as a component of a major city centre development by a reknowned architect, and consistent in style with other listed buildings extending westwards along the Headrow. 1-5 Eastgate, with which it is contiguous, is a separate building and is not of special interest.