Hampton House, aka Hampden House, 55-59 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FX

Hampton House, formerly known as Gladstone House, stands on the east side of Royal Avenue in Belfast, opposite Castle Court shopping centre at the junction with Lower Garfield Street. Built between 1967 and 1968 to designs by the architectural firm Robinson & McIlwaine for the Spinning Mill, a long-established Belfast commercial enterprise, it replaced two former four-storey buildings that had occupied the site since at least the 1830s.

The building is a five-storey structure with an 'L' shaped footprint, presenting principal frontage to Royal Avenue on the west and to Lower Garfield Street on the north. It wraps around the neighbouring Alliance & Leicester Building at numbers 61-63.

The principal elevation facing Royal Avenue comprises four identical tall narrow bays, with the exception of the second bay from the right which contains glazed, powder-coated metal-framed entrance doors beneath a small pitched canopy. Black columns rise to first floor ceiling level with pointed arched glazing divided vertically and separated at first floor by a white cladding band. These columns spread out at second floor level into zig-zag walling with black chevron window columns set into the angles.

The building is clad in white glazed vertical tiling to the principal elevations, with columns at ground and first floors. The roof is a flat waterproof membrane with internal rainwater goods. Fenestration throughout comprises a mixture of double-glazed black powder-coated and white single-glazed metal casements.

The north elevation facing Lower Garfield Street and the rear east elevation are six bays wide. The rear elevation presents complex fenestration including a curved corner at its left end, a ground floor door with single square windows on each upper floor, a full-height stairwell bay rising to six storeys, blank ground floor sections with staggered upper floor windows, and various grilles and bricked-up openings. A tall square column clad in white glazed tiles provides support approximately one metre from the right corner. The fourth floor is recessed approximately one metre, providing a partial glazed pitched roof to the third floor.

The north and rear elevations are brick-clad, with cream brick to most bays and black brick to the ground floor of three left bays and to the south side elevation. The right bay of the north elevation is faced in white glazed tiles. The south elevation, partially abutted by neighbouring property, is exposed in brick with various openings on all floors.

The architectural firm Robinson & McIlwaine, established in 1963, designed the building shortly after its founding. Although Hampton House has been substantially altered since construction, compromising its original architectural qualities, it remains a striking example of 1960s commercial architecture. The building's modern, vigorous yet well-mannered elevations were respectful of its neighbours. While it does not meet the standard required for statutory listing as an outstanding building of its period, it retains local interest and makes a positive contribution to Royal Avenue and the Belfast City Centre Conservation Area, particularly where some of its modern neighbours are less distinguished.

The building is located within the Belfast City Centre Conservation Area and is immediately adjacent to the listed terrace at numbers 56-60 North Street and numbers 2-10 Lower Garfield Street.