Peter Robinson

Peter Robinson is a department store and office block located at the northeastern quadrant of Oxford Circus, designed in 1912 by Sir Henry Tanner and completed in 1923, with an eastern extension added in 1924 by H. A. Hall and Clarkson. The building features Portland stone cladding, a steel frame, and a slate roof, showcasing a classical style with Beaux Arts details, while the extension incorporates more neo-Grec elements.

The design is symmetrical, complementing the other three quadrant blocks around the circus. It consists of four tall storeys and a double attic with steep mansard roofs and pavilion roofs. The upper floors are organized with projecting pavilions that flank the quadrant, featuring a sequence of fenestration: three windows, a splayed corner, one window, three windows, nine windows, three windows, and three windows to the quadrant, plus three windows to Oxford Street and a five-bay extension for Peter Robinson.

The ground floor shop fronts are articulated by pilasters adorned with wreathed shields and crowned by cherub heads. The upper floors have architraved bronze casements, with the second floor displaying alternating pediments. The pavilions are distinguished by giant Ionic columns and pilasters, enriched aprons, and bronze balconies at the central windows. Central stone dormers rise into the attic, featuring open pediments. The quadrant is marked by giant Ionic columns that separate tripartite bronze pilastered and framed windows. The main entablature beneath the attic is topped with a balustraded parapet, and the building includes corniced dormers, stone chimneystacks, and roof ridges with bronze crestings and triumphal ornaments.

The 1924 Peter Robinson extension features a podium with shop windows, deep coffered soffits to arches, and deep-set rectangular mezzanine windows above with uniquely designed coffered reveals and soffits. The upper floors of this extension display a giant fluted Doric order supporting a deep crowning entablature, reflecting a more conventional neo-Grec style.