School Of Art

School of Art, Moseley Road, Moseley B12 No. 500

Built in 1899 as the first municipal branch School of Art, this is a fine "Wrenaissance" design by W H Bidlake combining typical Birmingham Arts and Crafts detailing with quality materials. The building comprises a compact two-storey front block with semi-basement, constructed of red brick with Bath stone dressings and orders, and a slightly lower rear studio wing. The roof is hipped with graded slate, slightly swept out to the eaves.

The seven-bay elevation to Moseley Road is dominated by a monumental two-storey ashlar portico-porch projecting from the centre. This features fluted Roman Doric columns contained by piers of the same order, set on a bowed graded flight of steps that leads upward through a massive spaced voussoir arch to double glazed panelled doors, creating a powerful tunnel-like approach. Above the porch entablature rises an imposing aedicule of coupled Doric columns backed by pilasters with deep sections of entablature supporting a massive almost semi-circular open pediment with scrolled antae and caisson-panelled soffit. The order is returned on a string course as an engaged colonnade across the flanking bays of the first floor, set in antis to brick quoin pilasters.

An ashlar frieze and bracketed eaves cornice, capped by paterae-studded gutter, runs across the front. The first floor of the porch contains an ashlar pilastered bay window with entablature breaking forward for the return sections beneath the aedicule pediment. The intercolumuniations of the flanking bays are fully glazed with leaded casements, caveto sills and deep plain aprons, with column drums faceted below sill level. In contrast, the ground floor windows are narrow single and two-light transomed casements in ashlar pilaster frames with entablatures; those adjacent to the porch feature carved stone wreaths in panels replacing top lights. Semi-circular spaced voussoir arches to basement windows echo the inner arch of the porch. Fine Arts and Crafts leadwork to rainwater goods and wrought ironwork to window latches complete the external detailing.

The front block has a three-bay return with similar but simplified detailing, featuring pilasters to the first floor. A recessed link with simple round-headed leaded windows connects to the rear studio wing. The studio wing has five bays divided by shallow chamfered brick piers. Large leaded ground floor windows of simplified Norman Shaw type are paired with blind rendered panels to the first floor. Soffit eaves on large modillion brackets between terminal piers, which rise to contain a slate mansard roof with studio lights, complete the rear elevation.

The main entrance opens into a square three-bay pilastered hall. The opposite end is open to a double staircase with Doric columns flanking the central descending flight, which passes through an archway to the lower ground floor. The hall features a central band of stone flagged paving at the base of the staircases, flanked by herringbone brick paving. The double stairs rise to a mezzanine landing with balustrade across the archway. Similar Doric columns rise from the lower ground floor to support quadripartite vaulting over the stairwell and landing, creating a subtle and restrained Baroque spatial development. This central axis leads through to corridors on both lower ground and mezzanine floors. The lower level corridor is lit by a doorway at its end, whilst the upper corridor has two circular skylights. The interior otherwise comprises simple painted brickwork for functional studio use. Internal corridors have large semi-circular arched leaded windows opening into studios and exhibition halls.