Harcourt House

Harcourt House

A pair of mansion flats completed in 1909, designed in Edwardian Baroque style by the architectural firm Gilbert and Costanduros. The building has undergone some refurbishing in the later 20th century, including the addition of lifts, partitions and suspended ceilings which are not considered to be of special interest.

The principal front elevation is faced in Portland stone, while the rear is constructed of yellow brick with some glazed tiles. The roof is laid with Westmoreland slates and features stone chimneystacks. Windows are predominantly wooden casements, with many canted bays throughout, and some multi-paned sash windows on the rear elevation.

The building comprises a pair of attached mansion flats, each occupying four bays across six full storeys with attics and basements. Each flat contains 14 units, with central entrances and staircases. The principal floor flats featured high-ceilinged reception rooms comprising a hall, drawing room, dining room and study at the front, with two-storey bedroom and service wings to the rear. The remaining flats consisted of a single storey only.

The exterior displays a mansard roof with five rusticated stone chimneystacks and elaborate end octagonal domed pavilions with finials. Between these pavilions are six dormers with canted bay windows. The end bays project and are rusticated. Above the fifth floor of these end bays are balustraded parapets with elaborate wheat ear drops below. The fourth floor end bay windows have broken pediments on console brackets, whilst the fifth floor end bays have square windows with keystones. The remaining fifth floor windows alternate between triangular and curved pediments. The fourth floor rustication is carried across the remaining part, with windows featuring cambered mullioned and transomed casements with keystones, divided by pilasters with wheat ear drops. A wide modillion cornice sits above the third floor. The third floor windows are tripartite, the second floor windows are canted bays with stone balustrading supported on paired stone brackets, divided by partly fluted Ionic pilasters. The ground and first floors are rusticated with canted bay windows. Centrally placed porches to both 19 and 19A feature pediments supported on Roman Ionic columns. Each has a round-headed rusticated door surround with keystones, a semi-circular fanlight and half-glazed panelled mahogany door with side-lights. The basement is also rusticated with simpler casement windows. Attached to the entrances is curved stone walling leading to cast iron balustrading on a stone base, stone piers in front of the area with occasional stone ball finials, and decorative cast iron lamp standards. At each end are stone service entrances with curved pediments, raised blank panels, console brackets and two-panelled doors. The rear elevation is mainly of yellow brick with sash windows, while the sides and internal well feature glazed tiles and canted bay windows.

The entrance halls retain marble floors and the staircases feature mahogany dado panelling and elaborate doorcases to the individual flats. Windows in the staircases and corridors have opaque panes and include some stained glass with floral motifs. Original interior features survive in several flats. Flat 19 contains a wooden bolection-moulded fireplace with swags and dado panelling in the former dining room, wall panelling and a plainer fireplace to the former drawing room, and a bolection-moulded fireplace with low wall panelling to the former study. Flat 4 includes a moulded ceiling to the former dining room in the form of a shell with wreaths and paterae, and panelling incorporating swags and oval medallions. A wooden fireplace features a decorative urn, swags, paterae and composite columns. The adjoining room has a bolection-moulded fireplace with floral swags and wheat ear drops, a bracket cornice and dado panelling. Between the two reception rooms are the original sliding connecting doors within the thickness of the partition walls. One former corner bedroom has a green and white marble corner fireplace with urn and pilasters and an ovolo-moulded cornice. A former bedroom on the lower floor has a bolection-moulded fireplace with a crossed torch motif and a tiled surround, while a corner bedroom features a marble bolection-moulded fireplace. Suite 21 includes a moulded ceiling with oval shell motif to the former dining room. The former hall retains a modillion cornice, fireplace and dado panelling. The former study retains a moulded cornice, a fireplace with brackets and wheat ear drops, and on two walls 1943 murals by the artist Rupert Shephard in Classical style. These murals include a nymph holding a peacock flanked by cupids, foliage, further peacocks, a trompe l'oeil doorcase with a pediment and, above balustrading, a seascape including a ruined temple and islands. Some original parquet floors may survive beneath later carpeting.