Suffolk Record Office, including entrance platform and steps

Suffolk Record Office

A public library built between 1963 and 1965, designed by Donald McMorran of McMorran and Whitby. The building is constructed of brown Leicestershire brick laid in English bond with Portland stone dressings, and features a Welsh slate roof with a timber cupola to the apex.

The building has a rectangular plan, comprising a central five-bay two-storey block over a basement, flanked to the north and south by single-bay single-storey pavilions. The central block has a shallow-pitched hipped roof gabled to the west, with a square-plan cupola at the junction of the slopes. The single-storey pavilions each have a flat roof.

The front (east) elevation is symmetrical with five bays. It has eight-over-eight pane timber sash windows with square heads to the first and ground floors, and segmental-arched openings with recessed windows to the basement level. Portland stone dressings are used for the cornice, first floor sills, ground floor lintels and sill course, plinth course, and the parapet of the single-storey pavilions. The single-storey pavilions each contain a blind niche to the front. The central entrance is formed within a camber-arched Portland stone surround, with a recessed nine-pane glazed timber door and a camber-headed overlight above.

The north and south elevations each have six bays of eight-over-eight pane timber sash windows with square heads to the first floor, and seven bays of camber-headed tripartite sash windows to the ground floor pavilions, each bay flanked by round-headed blind niches. The south elevation contains a recessed double-leaf half-glazed timber-panelled door with a plain segmental overlight in its central bay.

The rear (west) elevation contains no openings and displays unfinished brickwork at its quoins, where an intended council chamber and garage were not completed. This elevation is of considerably lesser architectural interest than the front and side elevations.

The entrance hall retains original timber dado rails and a timber grille on its north and south walls, part of the original heating system (no longer in use due to asbestos). A flight of five Portland stone steps spans the width of the entrance hall and leads to the main stair on the west wall, which rises to a half-landing before turning 180 degrees to reach the first floor. The stair is composed of timber treads with metal oval ring balusters and plain metal newel-posts under a plain timber handrail.

The ground floor to the north of the entrance hall contains a reading room with an original parquet floor retaining its early character, a public service room, three toilets, a large storage area, and a corridor with an original parquet floor running south to the entrance of the south elevation. A public lecture room to the east of the corridor contains an original parquet floor and recent rectangular panelling on the east wall. A concrete stair with a plain but elegant metal handrail descends from the corridor to the basement, which contains no features of particular interest. To the west of the corridor are a staff office and kitchen.

At first floor level, the landing encircles the stairwell bounded by metal oval ring balusters and plain metal newel-posts under a plain timber handrail. The original parquet floor survives, with a pyramidal ceiling rising to the cupola at its apex. The first floor reading room to the west of the stair and landing is accessed by two replacement glazed doors with plain segmental overlights and sidelights. It retains original fixtures and fittings including parquet flooring and fitted bookcases. The reception desks have been recently replaced. Offices to the east and south of the landing retain parquet floors, with some containing original fitted bookcases and cupboards.

The front entrance is accessed via a paved platform with a flight of ten Portland stone steps rising from the north, bounded to the east by metal balusters and a handrail. Two flights of Portland stone steps at the south-east corner provide access from the road east of the building to the car park to the south. Stone paving continues along the length of the south elevation.