Brighton College Of Technology And Attached Walls And Gates And Railings

Brighton College of Technology and Attached Walls, Gates and Railings

A technical college built in three phases: 1895–1896, 1909, and 1935. Designed by Francis JC May, Borough Surveyor and Engineer, the building is constructed of red brick laid in English bond with terracotta dressings and a slate roof. The original ornate central section was built as Brighton Municipal Technical College in 1895–1896. A north wing was added in 1909 as premises for training teachers and incorporated into the Technical College in 1927. A south wing was added in 1935.

The building comprises 3 and 5 storeys over a basement, presenting a 14-window frontage. The ground floor is faced with banded terracotta. Steps lead up to an elliptical-arched entrance with a Gibbs surround formed of the banded terracotta continuing through. On either side are four flat-arched windows with segmental transoms and paired toplights, with the city arms positioned between the first and second windows on each side. A cornice and fascia with 'MUNICIPAL TECHNICAL COLLEGE' lettering surmounts this level.

The central bay is the most elaborate feature. It contains windows to three storeys, each enclosed under a single round-arched architrave. Each window is tripartite with a pediment to the central section, of different design on each floor; the third-floor window has been altered. A pair of flat-arched windows occupies the fourth floor. The entire central bay is flanked by octagonal piers with decorative cornice between the second and third floors and elaborate pinnacles at the fourth floor. Above rises a shaped and pedimented gable with arabesques decorating the tympanum.

The flanking bays feature two storeys of flat-arched triple windows with toplights set within slightly projecting terracotta panels. These are crowned at cornice level by open pediments through which bracketed antefixae project.

The north wing displays flat-arched windows with toplights to the first and second floors. The central window to the first floor has a terracotta architrave of blocked pilasters and open pediment between pinnacles. The south wing is similar but includes a round-arched carriage entrance to the ground floor, ground-floor windows with toplights, and no first-floor architraves. All but the central bay have a bracketed cornice with parapet; corniced ridge and side stacks feature throughout.

The interior contains exceptional decorative tilework. The vestibule, staircase hall, and landings to the first and second floors are decorated with glazed and relief-moulded tiles applied to dado, filling, frieze and cornice. Elliptical arches on either side of the hall and to the east side of landings are formed of ornate pilasters with equally ornately treated intrados and flanked by similar pilasters. On all floors and the staircase are didactic tiled frames enclosing round-arched panels each displaying four varieties of marble.

The dogleg staircase rises in three separate flights from basement to second floor. It features an elaborate wrought-iron newel to the basement, a Neo-Jacobean wooden newel to ground and first floors, scrolled wrought-iron balusters and a moulded rail. The staircase turns around two tiled columns of composite form with adapted Corinthian capitals and a round linking arch at ground and first floor, ending in newel posts at the second floor. A second-floor room at the north end of the building is fitted out like the hall of a board school with dadoes and arched trusses to the roof; it is now divided into two.

The building is surrounded by elaborate brick walls to the street and entrance with terracotta coping. Octagonal gate piers are decorated with blocking and ornate caps; the wall between is swept up at intervals with small decorative pediments. The entrance and carriage entrances feature elaborate cast-iron and wrought-iron gates with railings flanking the carriage entrance.