The Royal Albion Hotel And Attached Walls And Piers And Railings

THE ROYAL ALBION HOTEL AND ATTACHED WALLS, PIERS AND RAILINGS

A hotel of 1826, designed by Amon Henry Wilds for John Colbatch, restored and extended in the mid 19th century and again in the early 20th century. The building is constructed of stucco with mansarded slate roofs featuring turnerised finishes.

EXTERIOR

The principal north-facing entrance elevation displays a 10-window range across three storeys and an attic with dormers over a basement. A single-storey rectangular entrance porch spans the 4th through 7th window ranges, featuring a flat-arched entrance flanked by a pair of attached Tuscan columns on either side, with one Tuscan pilaster to each return. The porch windows are flat-arched with moulded jambs treated as Tuscan pilasters and balustraded spandrels; the entablature recedes above the entrance, which is crowned by the Royal Arms, added in 1847 when the hotel received its Royal designation.

All ground-floor windows are round-arched. Upper floor windows are flat-arched. A giant pilastrade of the Composite Order is applied to the first and second floors, with the centre section above the entrance porch projecting slightly, where the pilasters become attached columns. Between each pilaster's socle, cast-iron railings fill the floor-to-ceiling first-floor openings. The storey band between first and second floors and the sill band to the second floor do not interrupt the pilastrade. The attic storey is articulated by pilasters on the same axes as those below, each attic window topped by a round-arched tympanum filled with a shell motif. The design of the main elevation is repeated on the return, which features six flat-arched dormers to the main elevation and four to the return. Projecting from the ground floor of the return elevation is a single-storey structure, very likely of early 20th-century date, which wraps around the rear elevation following the line of the street.

The mid 19th-century addition to the west is considerably taller, displaying a three-window range across three storeys with a two-storey attic and dormers over a basement. The ground floor has segmental-arched openings, with the centre range recessed slightly above. The giant order of the earlier block is repeated here with variation: the end ranges are framed by a pair of pilasters which rebate back into the centre recessed bay, treated as a distyle in antis with fluted attached columns of the Ionic, rather than Composite, order. A full entablature separates the second floor from the first attic storey, which is articulated by panelled pilasters; the second attic, with its mansarded roof, appears to be a 20th-century addition. All windows have architraves except the first-floor centre window, which has a floating cornice only; all upper-floor windows are flat-arched. The windows in the end bays are tripartite and topped by pediments on the first floor. Cast-iron railings appear at each first-floor window as in the main block.

Both sections are enclosed by a parapet wall topped by cast-iron railing, both dating to the early 20th century, as do the ground-floor glazing bars. These early 20th-century features are executed in Regency Revival style. The French doors in the original block are of original design, as are the attic sashes in window ranges 2 through 7 and 10; the remaining attic windows are blocked, as is the first-floor window near the corner. The first-floor windows on the return retain French doors of original design; attic windows have sashes of original design in all but the first and fifth window ranges, which are blocked. Stacks rise to party and rear walls.

INTERIOR

Not inspected.

HISTORICAL NOTE

The site was previously occupied by a house built in 1753 for Dr. Russell, whose book on the healthful effects of sea bathing helped to promote Brighton's development as a resort. Following the house's demolition in 1823, the Town Commissioners offered to purchase the site from Colbatch to maintain a clear view of the sea from the Old Steine. By 1826, the offer had not been accepted, and construction of the current hotel began. The Albion received its Royal designation in 1847. In 1913 the building was purchased by Harry Preston, who also owned the Royal York nearby. A period of prominence followed, during which the hotel became known for housing artistic and literary guests. Minor renovations occurred following sales in 1978 and 1987. The building forms a group with the Royal York Buildings.