Aston Council Chamber

Aston Council Chamber

Library and council offices built in 1881, designed by Birmingham architect William Henman in a loosely Jacobean style.

The building is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond with stone and moulded brick dressings and a plain tiled roof. It comprises two stories with an attic and basement.

The ground floor library was accessed from Witton Road, while other ground floor offices and the first floor council offices were approached from a doorway on Albert Road leading to a staircase hall.

The building is near symmetrical and is organised around a corner turret at the junction of Witton Road and Albert Road. This octagonal turret has a prominent attic storey supporting an octagonal roof with swept profile, topped with a louvered timber stage and lead cap. A weather vane mounted on the cap displays the date 1881. On either side of the turret are facades, each of fifteen bays divided into clusters of three. Two gabled projections break forward from each front, each with three attic lights flanked by stone volutes. Windows on both floors have moulded stone surrounds. The Witton Road front features a classical stone door surround with pediment and a tablet above panelled double doors inscribed "FREE LIBRARY". The Albert Road elevation has a more prominent single-storey porch with an arched portal. Inside this porch is a red granite foundation stone recording the architect's name. Chimneys across the building extend to full height with moulded bands. Both street fronts are fronted by wrought iron railings with decorative finials in the form of vegetation.

The rear elevation, facing a yard, has a large central Venetian window at first floor landing level. Immediately either side of this are projecting wings with hipped roofs, and further either side are three bays with cambered heads. At basement level of the Albert Road wing are two garage doors with a deep iron lintel, believed to have housed fire engines before the borough fire station was built.

The entrance from Albert Road leads to a staircase hall with polychromatic mosaic flooring that extends along corridors in both wings. A staircase with a large marble newel, iron balustrade and wooden handrail climbs the wall of a large canted bay to the first floor, where a generous landing with mosaic paving, columns, arches and an etched glass skylight is located. A porter's booth with etched glass windows, appearing to be an original fitting, has been moved within the entrance hall. Rooms throughout have heavy ceiling beams and fireplaces with marble slips, panelled decoration and console brackets above mantel shelves. Central heating radiators are housed in cast iron cabinets with marble tops, and several rooms have ventilation ducts. A housekeeper's room in the basement contains a range, sink and fitted wooden cupboard, all apparently original. The attics have cast iron fire surrounds.