McKay Trading Estate

Warehouses and offices on 1976-1978 by John Outram Associates, assistant architect Tony McIntyre and architectural assistant Ernest Nagy.

MATERIALS: brown brick over grey brick, with brick arches forming a continuous curved roofline that conceals sheet roofing behind.

PLAN: the building is set at an angle to the road and is broadly rectangular, comprising an office block and nine warehouses set in pairs, save that the first forms a pair with two-storey offices. Each warehouse has to the front a projecting window and set-back loading bay, some pairs set further forward than others. To the rear, the shorter lengths of warehouses 1-4 and 9 form a stepped profile at either end. On the south-west (street) elevation are the two-storey, five bay offices with a double-height entrance hall adjoining the first warehouse.

EXTERIOR: the elevation facing Blackthorne Road is of five bays with a continuous curved roofline and full-height timber window frames, fitted with dark glazing, in each bay. At the springing point of each arch, delineating the bays, there are small concrete sections. The return elevation facing the entrance to the site has a full-height window containing the entrance to the first unit and lighting the double-height entrance hall within. The canopy over the door is a later addition.

Behind the block facing the street are alternating pairs of warehouse doors and projecting office wings for each unit. Each unit is identified by a concrete 'capital' with the number of the unit in relief 'supergraphics'. The loading bays have timber spandrels matching the office window units and replacement roller shutter doors. Some of the smaller office units have replacement glazing.

INTERIOR: the entrance hall to the largest unit is the main interior designed by Outram, this originally had timber boarding to the arched ceiling and bands of timber set in white plaster. This has been refitted and is now uniformly white; it is not known if the timber bands survive. The offices beyond are functional and have been refitted. The smaller offices to the individual units, not inspected, are understood to be plain and largely refitted. The warehouse interiors are utilitarian.