Coronation Buildings

Coronation Buildings, originally known as The Singer Building, are shops, showrooms, and offices built between 1902 and 1904, with later alterations in the late 20th century. Designed by Arthur Wakerley, the building has a steel-frame construction and features facades of faience and white brick tiles, topped with a lead roof and Art Nouveau style decoration. It is three storeys tall, plus an attic.

The exterior presents a seven-window front arranged as 3:1:3. The shop fronts are mostly from the 20th century, with original faience tiled pilasters in between. The central shop front and upper floor entrance are slightly recessed, with an original wooden fascia board. The first floor has a broad central segmental arch with elaborate foliate spandrels and an original thirteen-light plate glass showroom window. Flanking this arch are three smaller original three-light plate glass showroom windows, each with panelled pilasters and a continuous moulded cornice. The second floor displays seven faience panels; the central one is blank, and the six flanking panels are decorated with cartouches featuring a coloured Union Jack centre, topped with a different name panel and a representative animal, linked by strapwork chains to foliate corner decorations. From left to right, the names and animals appear as: Australia (Kangaroo), Egypt (Camel), Canada (Mountain Lion), India (Tiger), Burmah (Elephant), and Africa (Ostrich). Above the centre are three pairs of round-headed windows within deep arches, featuring strapwork balustrades, coloured columns, and pilasters. Flanking these are three four-light windows with similar balustrades and dividing columns, all topped by a continuous chamfered eaves cornice with Art Nouveau tiling. The central section has a projecting round-headed attic, originally topped by a statue of Britannia. Below the attic are three panels; the outer ones depict tiled scenes of galleons, while the inner one features late 20th-century coloured tiles.

The interior of the building has not been inspected.

Arthur Wakerley (1862-1931), a prominent local architect, developer, philanthropist, and politician, designed and built the property. It served as the Midland headquarters and main showroom for the Singer Sewing Machine Company from 1904 until around 1965. Coronation Buildings is a rare and well-preserved example of an Edwardian commercial property decorated with an Art Nouveau style faience facade.