Former Barclays Bank Building

Former Barclays Bank Building

Originally designed in 1949 and built between 1950 and 1952, this bank building was designed by Curtis Green, Son and Lloyd, with Christopher Green as the partner in charge. William McMillan provided sculpture for the building. The structure underwent extensive conversion in 2005–7, when the ground floor was converted to restaurants and the upper floors to flats. A two-storey vertical extension was added at this time, designed by Architects Design Group, to provide additional residential accommodation.

The building employs part load-bearing and part framed construction, clad in Portland stone with a granite plinth. The two-storey extension features a steel frame and fully glazed outward elevations, while its inward-facing elevations to the central courtyard are rendered with sash windows.

The original building is square on plan with an offset central courtyard. It comprises three storeys with a basement and flat roofs, with stair towers to the north and south within the courtyard rising above the internal parapet level. The former double-height banking hall is entered from Armada Way through lobbies fronted by corner porches, with small rooms to either side. Office space occupied the area behind and above the banking hall, accessed through the hall and by separate entrances to the north and south.

All façades are articulated with twelve bays containing small-paned windows: timber sashes with some tripartite examples on the upper floors, and metal windows at ground floor and semi-basement level. The ground-floor windows have granite surrounds and aprons with a deep sill band above. Alternate first-floor windows are set within flat Gibbs surrounds formed by negative delineation of bands and voussoirs, each with a raised circular keystone. A minimal cornice runs below the parapet. The north and south corners facing Armada Way are set back above ground-floor level and feature engaged semi-circular porches formed of square columns with circular moulding to the capital and frieze, and slightly stepped hoods set on semi-circular steps. Solid panelled doors have architrave surrounds and date stones marked '1952', surmounted by cartouches bearing the letter 'B'. Plainer entrances to the north and south have glazed double doors within moulded granite architraves with rectangular keystones. Above the south entrance the words 'Barclays Bank Chambers' are carved. Each entrance is approached by steps with wrought iron balustrades; a new ramp has been installed at the right side of the north elevation providing access to both entrances.

The west elevation to Armada Way is the most elaborate. The central five double-height bays contain large round-arched openings with scrolled keystones, originally windows. The left-hand, central, and right-hand openings have been extended to accommodate doors with decorative glass above. The remaining window openings retain their original lead boxes designed by William McMillan and dated '1952'. McMillan also created four engaged sculptures of heroic figures—the classical gods Ceres, Jupiter, and Mercury, together with a miner—set on tapered plinths between the windows. In full relief at the corners are figures of Sir Francis Drake and an ARP warden or firefighter, complete with bucket and flames. Street names are carved beneath these figures.

The glazed extension's elevations are set back from those of the original building with overhanging eaves, and its negative corners are filled by balconies. The glazing is in horizontal panels, with sections opening on a horizontal pivot.

Within the former banking hall, the street openings are reflected by tall door openings to the west. The space retains its coffered ceiling in decorative Swedish style, its classical frieze, and stone embellishment of window and door openings—to both street elevations and interior—with scrolled keystones, brackets, urns, and soffits mouldings. A stone dado runs around the walls. Along the centre of the hall, placed between the tall openings, are three square stepped columns with moulded panels. The north-west entrance lobby retains its original form, with a stone frame marking the opening to the hall and stone doorways set in a curved wall leading to the small rooms flanking the lobby. The north-east office area has been opened out to connect with the main space. A mezzanine has been inserted within the eastern part of the hall, reached by a spiral stair, and new fittings including a central bar have been installed. The south-west lobby area has been converted to a separate café space and retains no original features. The north and south entrance lobby areas retain their internal arched openings with glazed doors and stone lining to the walls, with openings to the lift shafts. The open-well stairs have iron balustrades of geometrical pattern with a slender timber handrail, above basement level. The former office spaces, now occupied by restaurants and flats, do not retain original features. The basement, which contained the bank's strong rooms, retains an armoured door.

The original stairs have been continued into the new upper storeys, with the detailed balustrade having been replicated. A bridge link with glazed walkways has been inserted across the courtyard from north to south. Within the courtyard, a raised extension against the north range provides extra restaurant space.