Former office block of the Scotch Foundry

Former office block of the Scotch Foundry, Armley, designed by A Drake in 1932 in Art Deco style.

The building stands on a sandstone outcrop overlooking the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is constructed of artificial stone, red brick and a steel frame, with terrazzo floors. The sub-rectangular plan is aligned north-south, with the office block abutting the warehouse at its north-east corner.

The front façade faces north and comprises three storeys and three bays. It is built of artificial stone in Art Deco style with an ashlar plinth (taller on the right due to falling ground levels), a rusticated ground floor, plat band, ashlar upper floors with full-height openings, and a parapet with a very shallow central pediment. The outer bays project slightly and feature a ribbed architrave with paterae and a single metal-framed window to each floor. The central bay, beneath the pediment, has a central door with moulded surround and flanking lights; above are three windows per floor, with the outer ones slightly narrower.

The west façade comprises two linked parts in red brick with artificial-stone dressings and a tall parapet. The left part has a projecting three-window centre under a raised parapet with full-height openings spanning the upper two floors and windows matching those of the front façade. A smaller first-floor window sits to the right. Due to falling ground at the left, it has a full-height ashlar ground floor here, diminishing to a plinth at the right-hand side. The right part is set back slightly and features five tall arched windows with surrounds and keystones, with metal-framed windows; the outer two windows are in slightly projecting bays. The link has a lower parapet and a slender full-height window with surround. A blind side wall projects slightly to the right. This component has a flat roof and forms an L-shape, wrapping around the south and rear section of the east side. The rear section of the east elevation has metal-framed windows to the upper floors with moulded brick sills and imitation stone lintels.

The interior features terrazzo floors in the vestibule, entrance lobby and circulation areas, with tiled dadoes and cornices. Timber partitions have glazed lights and glazed panelled doors, with two-panelled doors to the main rooms featuring moulded architraves and radiators with hoods. The entrance lobby is accessed through a revolving door with panelled enclosure and glazed panelled doors. The main stair wraps around a metal lift cage and has a cast-iron balustrade with Art Deco geometric design to the lower section and a continuous moulded timber handrail. It is lit by metal-framed windows to the east elevation with leaded lights, diamond motifs and obscure glass. The lift has a panelled wooden interior and a control panel bearing the manufacturer's name: 'Rawlinsons Ltd Lifts Leeds'. A second, private staircase gives direct access to a series of principal offices on the first floor at the front of the building. Some first-floor offices have modern wall panelling, reportedly replacing an original feature.

A large second-floor office, now divided by partitions, has cornicing and two large skylights with leaded lights, geometric motifs and obscure glass. The rear part of the building contains a double-height drawing office with a barrel-vaulted ceiling featuring ventilation roses and skylights with leaded lights. A gallery to the left-hand side has later partitions concealing upper offices. Original glazed partitions remain to the offices beneath the gallery and to a corner office within the drawing room itself. Strong rooms occupy the south end of each floor, with doors dated 1932. A staircase to the east of the strong rooms is lit by a skylight and has iron balusters with diamond motifs and a moulded timber handrail, leading to a secondary first-floor level which connects the office block with the warehouse.

The office block interconnects with the former warehouse of the Scotch Foundry at first-floor and second-floor levels at the north end of the east elevation.