Smethwick Technical School

Former Technical School, now Sandwell College building, constructed 1908-10. Designed by Frederick J. Gill, Smethwick Borough Architect, for Smethwick Education Committee. The building is executed in red brick with stone plinths, banding, window dressings and entrance bay details, with pitched slate roofs. It is an Edwardian Baroque style school building comprising a 2-storey entrance and office range to the front, and a 3-storey classrooms range with spine corridor to the rear.

The north elevation displays a central advanced entrance bay with a rusticated ground floor featuring a rounded arch doorway under swags, triglyph and metope frieze, flanked by single lights in prominent surrounds. The first floor contains a Venetian window under an open segmental pediment with central cartouche, with windows framed by engaged ionic columns decorated with bunches of grapes mounted on deep bases with wreath and swag details. The entrance bay culminates in a steep parapet gable with corner finials, stone banding and a large central stone crest under a shallow curved pediment. To the right and left of this bay are three windows to each floor; those immediately flanking the entrance bay are single lights, all with prominent stone surrounds and scrolled keyblocks, whilst those to the ground floor have stone aprons. Stone quoins run the full height. A continuous pronounced cornice with dentil frieze and brick parapet above runs across the elevation. Centrally positioned is a cupola with angled pilaster corners to the base and columns to the corners above with a projecting cornice and dome.

The west elevation features a Venetian window to the first floor in stone surrounds with scrolled keyblock, and a gable with shallow stone parapet rising to a central chimneystack framed by scrolled brackets. Below this are a pair of circular windows with stone surrounds and scrolled keyblocks. A dedicated plaque with scrolled hood and granite plaque sits at the base. To the right is a further banded gable followed by a classroom range of seven bays, with basement storey progressively gaining depth; the end gable range has three full storeys. Windows across all ranges and floors feature generous proportions with gauged brick headers, scrolled keyblocks, and stone banding. Two parapetted semi-circular gables mark the central classroom range, each with a deep stone plaque dropping to second floor window level; that to the left bears '1908' in an elaborate wreath, that to the right bears 'SEC' in similar surround. A mid-20th century linking bridge to the left is not included in the listing.

The south elevation displays three storeys and six window bays with detailing similar to the west side. A 2-storey mid-20th century linking bridge to the left is not included in the listing.

The east elevation features tall blind windows to the first floor in Venetian window style with stone surrounds under scrolled keyblocks. Below these are a pair of circular windows with stone surrounds and scrolled keyblocks. To the left is a further banded gable range with three window bays under prominent keyblocks, then a classroom bay of seven bays with three storeys of windows under plain gauged lintels, followed by an additional stair bay with taller windows, culminating in a 2-bay end gable range with central chimney stack and blind windows to each of the three storeys with scrolled keyblocks. Most windows retain their original wooden frames with panes and hoppers to the top.

The interior contains a double entrance vestibule with tiled dado including green tiles with white and gold scrolled plaques and a porthole to an office in brown tile surround. A wide arch with foliate keyblock opens to both sides. The marble entrance hall features a geometric multi-coloured terrazzo floor mirroring the plan of six ionic columns supporting an upper gallery and pilasters to the perimeter wall, all decorated with foliate swags. A deep beamed ceiling with egg and dart moulding adorns each bay between the colonnade. Panelled dado continues to tall prominent architraves around perimeter doors. The central four columns extend to the first floor, linked by a wooden balustrade. The perimeter gallery has a terrazzo floor, egg and dart moulded ceiling, panelled dado and prominent architraves matching the floor below. A central domed ceiling with 16-light segmental glazing illuminates an internal courtyard below, and features an egg and dart cornice.

Offices and a board room occupy the front, with a stairwell to the right rear of the front range lined with full height glazed bricks and a metal baluster stair rail. The classroom range to the rear contains a spine corridor lined with brown glazed tile dado and internal windows opening to classrooms on each side. Upper floor classrooms have trusses masked by inserted dropped ceilings, but with foliate brackets exposed. Some classrooms and the rear stairwell also feature glazed brick dado.

The foundation stone was laid on 3rd November 1908 by Alderman H.P. Motteram M.D. J.P., Mayor. Frederick J. Gill also designed the nearby Baroque style Town Hall and Council House (1905-07).

Entrance gates comprise brick piers with stone banding capped with stone cornice and ball finials framing the entrance, followed by a low brick wall to similar piers at either end, though without balls.