32-35, HALL STREET

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10249 HALL STREET 29-APR-04 32-35

GV II A terrace of shops and workshops, formerly manufactories. Early C20 with later alterations. Red brick with terracotta dressings and detailing, prominent gable end chimneys, coped gables and a slated roof. C17 Domestic Revival style. PLAN : Long street frontage range with off- centre passage leading to rear yard with elongated workshop ranges extending to rear of plot. EXTERIOR. Frontage range of 3 storeys, 5 bays, with altered windows to ground floor obscuring the near-symmetry of the original design more clearly expressed on upper storeys. 4 ground-floor doorways at bays 1, 3 and 5, bay 3 with 2 doorways side by side, that to the left the passage entrance to the rear yard. To the right, and also at bay 1, entrances to the frontage range with moulded surrounds and segmental pediments on brackets above shallow segmental arch door heads with overlights. Doorway to bay 5 detailed as the passage entry. Flanking the doorway to bay 1 are C20 2-light display windows, and to the right of the doorway next to the passage, 2 C20 display windows rising from pavement level. Above, a deeply moulded lintel band links with pedimented door heads. At first floor level, 3 shallow canted bay windows rise from slender cill string, forming the lower margin of a wide lintel band, the upper margin of which a is a matching string superimposed by a deeper, undulating moulding which forms hoods to window heads. The bays have 2-light centre windows with narrow flanking lights, all with glazing bars to transom lights. Continuous shallow parapet below triple sash windows to each upper floor bay, the upper sashes with glazing bars. Storeyed workshop ranges to rear retaining some multi-pane cast iron window frames. HISTORY: This manufactory is thought to be one of the first in Birmingham to operate with electric lighting. The right hand gable incorporates and elaborately moulded window surround reputedly rescued from a school in Aston. Kelly's Directory for 1916 records 2 jewellery manufacturers and a paper merchant as occupants. Forms a group with Nos. 36-37 Hall Street (q.v.) A terraced range of early C20 manufactories, whose plan form and fine external detailing characterise the industrial buildings of a manufacturing district of Birmingham now recognised as being of international significance.