Avery Hill Training College (Conservatory)

Avery Hill Training College Conservatory, built in 1889, is a large structure designed in a classical style featuring domed glass roofs and divided into three sections. The central one-storey block has seven bays, with twelve windows and a door aligned on the axis. Above the three middle bays is a pediment. The building is constructed of red brick, with walls accentuated by rusticated pilasters that support an entablature with brick mouldings. Each bay contains a pair of round arched windows framed by moulded stone architraves and pilasters. The central round arched doorway is flanked by sidelights, creating a Venetian effect, and features similar stone dressings. Carved brick figures and plants representing Horticulture are found in the spandrels. The outer parts of the building have low pitched glass roofs, while the tall central glass dome is adorned with a moulded wood cornice and console bracketed soffit. Atop the dome is a low central wood cupola with a figure of Eros as the finial. The five-window side wings, set back in a similar style, also have domed glass roofs and small square cupolas. The west return features a long, fifteen-window façade, while the east return is shorter and adjoins a later building. Inside, the conservatory displays riveted cast iron construction with round arches supported by slender, quasi-Corinthian iron columns. In the east wing, there is a notable feature: a figure of a nymph resting on a dolphin, crafted in white marble and set on a grey marble oval plinth.