15, OLD BAILEY EC1 (See details for further address information)

TQ 3181 SE OLD BAILEY, EC1

627-0/8/10068 No.15 (including Nos. 1-8 Holborn Viaduct)

GV II

Former hotel, now insurance company offices and shops. Dated 1874. Architect Evans Cronk. Restored and internally reconstructed in 1985. Brick in mixed bond with cream and red stone dressings. Mansard roofs of slate with iron crestings restored to an original design. Short elevation to Old Bailey of two-window range with quadrant corners to long elevation along the Viaduct, which is a fourteen-window range. Five storeys with attic and dormers over basement. French Second Empire style. Round-arched entrance in Old Bailey with flat-arched entrances to curved ranges. Round-arched entrances in eleventh- and twelfth-window of long range with carved spandrels. Ail other ground-floor and first-floor openings are flat arched as are third-, fourth-floor and attic windows. Second-floor windows are round arched and dormers which are given a variety of treatments. Ground floor with pilasters with continuous entablature; first-floor has parapet band, becoming cast-iron balconies at windows. Extreme variety of treatment to wall surface. Ranges nine to twelve, which have a separate mansard roof, treated as a projecting pavilion with corner quoin strips. Most window are coupled, set in aedicules some of which have pediments. Noteworthy features include: corner ranges on third floor form balconies, their roofs supported by a single corner column and responds. Stacks combined with double-height dormers near corner, interspersed with segmental, pedimented dormers; attic windows on long elevation add a note of flourish to this repetitive elevation. Corner range given its own mansard roof Large stack with. party wall of no.11. Forms a prominent group with Central Criminal Court and nos. 16-17 Old Bailey (q.v.).

Listing NGR: TQ3173481418