897, Finchley Road

This is a bank, dated 1921, but designed in 1913 by T.B. Whinney for the London, City and Midland Bank (later the Midland Bank). It occupies a prominent corner site and is built in a monumental classical style, emphasising the angle of the building. The exterior is Portland stone and red brick, with the roof hidden behind a parapet. The curved entrance facade is in rusticated Portland stone and symmetrical, featuring a central entrance flanked by two pairs of giant order Ionic attached three-quarter columns. There is a stone plinth, plain entablature with a modillion cornice, and a stone parapet, partly pierced with turned balusters which continues to the side elevations. The central entrance is beneath a semicircular arch containing a plain fanlight, with a keystone flowing into a cartouche flanked by swagged garlands and a blank articulated apron above. The entrance doors are a pair of raised and fielded panelled doors with brass door furniture. Rectangular windows are positioned above at upper and lower storey level, three with obscured glass and iron grilles. The Finchley Road elevation is in red brick, articulated by rusticated stone pilasters, with a stone plinth, entablature, and parapet echoing the entrance facade. Four windows are each set beneath open pediments with dentil cornices, on moulded brackets, with moulded architraves, sash windows with glazing bars, and a plain apron extending over the plinth. The fifth bay is defined by rusticated pilasters, containing a monumental moulded architrave with a keystone, framing upper and lower storey sash windows with glazing bars, the upper window above a plain apron. A similar north elevation features a simpler south bay with a doorcase in a plain stone architrave, flanked by a sash window with glazing bars; three upper lights are detailed with stone cills and keystones. Iron rainwater heads, dated 1921, and downspouts are present. Inside, the entrance lobby is fully lined with raised and fielded panelling with a dentil cornice. Inner paired doors in a moulded architrave lead to the banking hall, which has a raised and fielded panelled dado to the Finchley Road elevation. The ceiling is coffered, with each rib supported by paired brackets rising from a frieze and a modillion cornice. The banking counter is constructed from alternating horizontal raised and fielded panels and vertical eared panels between scrolled brackets, with gadrooned undersides to the counter top.