Unity Works

This substantial building, located on the west side of Vittoria Street in Hockley, Birmingham, was originally constructed in 1865 as a toolmakers’ works. It was extended in 1898 in a matching style by architect J P Osborne, working for the firm of Henry Jenkins and Son. The building is an impressive example of late 19th-century industrial architecture, demonstrating a functional design on a grand scale.

The building is three storeys high and constructed primarily of red brick with plain painted stone dressings. It originally featured a symmetrical twelve-bay front, with a narrower three-bay section at each end. The 1898 extension added five bays, slightly wider than the original. A plinth and sill band run along the facade, linking the window sills with consoles. A projecting dentil eaves cornice adds detail to the roofline.

The south end break features a wagon archway on the ground floor, adorned with a keystone. The north end break contains three closely spaced round-headed windows, incorporating keys and lintel impost blocks. The ground floor windows are arranged in an arcade, each with linked impost blocks and keystones, and apron panels below the window sills. The first floor windows are segmental arched, and a plain frieze runs across the heads of the second floor windows, coordinating the window designs. Throughout, the building utilizes iron-framed small-pane windows.