54 AND 55, CORNHILL EC3

Nos 54 and 55 Cornhill, built in 1893 by Runtz, are designed in an early 16th century French 'Loire chateaux' style. The building is made of terracotta and consists of four storeys and an attic. It features a modern shop front with an original strapwork fascia. The facade is symmetrical up to the second floor, showcasing a two-bay centrepiece with mullioned and transomed windows, pedestalled Tuscan pilasters, and a superimposed order of Ionic pilasters with a pierced balustrade. The rhythm of the facade changes at the third floor, where three mullioned and transomed windows are topped by an asymmetrically placed triangular gable that contains a window with strapwork. To the left, there is an octagonal two-storey tower adorned with a strapwork frieze, cornice, and cupola. Notable decorative elements include a crouching devil on the apex of the gable and a chimera on the corbel of the tower.