32-35, Hall Street

This is a terrace of shops and workshops, originally built as manufactories in the early 20th century. It has been altered since its original construction. The building is constructed of red brick with terracotta detailing, and features prominent gable-end chimneys, coped gables, and a slated roof. It is designed in the Domestic Revival style, referencing older architectural forms from the 17th century.

The building has a long frontage along Hall Street, with a passage positioned off-centre, leading to a rear yard. Behind the yard are elongated workshop ranges that extend to the rear of the plot.

The street-facing range is three storeys high and five bays wide. The ground-floor windows have been altered, obscuring the original symmetry which is more clearly visible on the upper floors. There are four doorways at bays 1, 3 (containing two doors side-by-side, with the left one providing access to the rear yard passage), and 5. The doors in bays 1 and 5 have moulded surrounds and segmental pediments supported by brackets, above shallow segmental arch door heads with overlights. Display windows have been inserted into the ground floor in bays 1 and 3, rising from pavement level. A deeply moulded lintel band connects the pedimented door heads. Above this, the first floor features three shallow canted bay windows that rise from a slender cill string, forming the lower margin of a wide lintel band, topped by an undulating moulding that acts as a hood above the window heads. The first floor windows are two-light windows with narrow flanking lights, all with glazing bars to the upper sashes. A continuous shallow parapet sits below the triple sash windows on each upper floor bay, also with glazing bars. The rear workshop ranges retain some cast iron windows with multiple panes.

It is believed this manufactory was one of the first in Birmingham to use electric lighting. The right-hand gable incorporates an elaborately moulded window surround reportedly salvaged from a school in Aston. In 1916, Kelly’s Directory listed two jewellery manufacturers and a paper merchant as occupants.

The building forms a group with Nos. 36-37 Hall Street, and contributes to a manufacturing district of Birmingham recognised for its international significance.