Wallace House, Caledonian Estate

Wallace House, Caledonian Estate

A block of flats forming part of the Caledonian Estate, designed and built around 1904–1906 by the Housing of the Working Classes Branch of the London County Council Architect's Department. The architect responsible was probably J.G. Stephenson. The Caledonian Estate consists of five blocks in total. Carrick House stands to the west, overlooking Caledonian Road, while four blocks are arranged at the back of the site to form a square: Irvine House to the west and Wallace House to the east are longer than Burns House to the north and Scott House to the south. Except for the entrance arch in Irvine House, the opposite blocks within the square match each other and are linked by brick arcades of three round arches.

Wallace House is constructed of red brick in English and Flemish bond with dressings of glazed brick and plaster, wrought iron, cast iron and reinforced concrete, and has a tiled roof. It is five storeys in height.

All windows are segmental-arched sash windows except where otherwise stated. All windows now have late 20th century glazing which echoes the arrangement of the original sashes and casements.

The front elevation facing into the square is symmetrical and made up of seven elements. Three 'balcony' ranges each have a buttressed screen to the ground floor with segmental-arched entrances to ground-floor flats and staircases. The parapet of the screen acts as a balustrade to the first-floor flats. The flats on the first to fourth floors are set back with flat-arched windows and entrances under segmental arches; one of the three entrances on each balcony is now blocked. Access is by way of a cantilevered reinforced concrete balcony with cast-iron railings. Iron pipes run up between floors and terminate at the fourth floor in decorative brackets. Wrought-iron former lampholders are present at this level. The central range follows this pattern. Either side of it are ranges of two windows, those to the fourth floor being flat-arched casements, with the gable in the form of a double curve flanked by parapeted 'shoulders'. Then come the two other 'balcony' ranges. The end ranges are of two windows, those to the first, second and third floors set back under a round arch at third-floor level with herringbone brickwork in the tympanum. Those to the fourth floor are flat-arched casements with a plastered panel between. These end ranges have hipped roofs between parapeted 'shoulders' with ridge stacks.

The east elevation has four five-storey gabled ranges. The two inner ranges are of five windows each with flat-arched casements to the fourth floor; the central three windows are under round arches and separated by buttress-like strips, while the outer two are under dentil cornices with 'shouldered' gables. The two outer gabled ranges are of three windows each. Those to the first, second and third floors are set under a round arch at third-floor level, while those to the fourth floor are flat-arched casements under a shaped and 'shouldered' gable.

The three intervening ranges are of six windows under eaves, those to the third floor being flat-arched between plastered pilasters. Those to the fourth floor are flat-arched dormers in a mansard roof.