Bank Buildings, Castle Place, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT1 1BL

Bank Buildings, Castle Place, Belfast

Bank Buildings is a classically-styled five-storey red sandstone and polished granite department store with attic storey, built between 1885 and 1900 to the designs of W.H. Lynn. The building occupies a prominent city centre location at the junction of Royal Avenue, Castle Place, Castle Street and Donegall Place, with its principal east-facing elevation fronting Castle Place. The rectangular plan has multi-bay side elevations extending along Castle Street and Bank Street.

The building was largely gutted by bomb damage in 1975 and underwent extensive refurbishment around 1979. The replacement natural slate half-hipped roof to the front block sits behind a balustrade parapet, with tall stepped profiled chimneystacks (or ventilation shafts) rising from the four corners. The remainder has a replacement mansard-type roof with natural slate set at steep pitches to the attic storey, which features dormer windows.

The principal east elevation is symmetrical and six windows wide. At its centre is a copper-lined segmental-pedimented clock dormer breaking through the parapet, with a metal clock face set in a decoratively carved stone surround. The pediment contains a cartouche stating the completion date '1900'. The dormer is flanked by scrolled brackets set on swagged panels and a pair of urns. Both side elevations of the front block have further segmental-pedimented dormers with cartouches to their pediments and paired windows framed by Doric pilasters. All dormers have slated cheeks with dentilled cornices. The roofs to the side elevations incorporate segmental-pedimented dormers with single-pane timber sash windows. The west end of the south elevation features a tripartite attic block with oculi having swag surrounds, a dentilled cornice, and two chimneystacks above.

The walling comprises red sandstone ashlar with polished red granite to the ground floor and first floor of the front block. A polished black granite plinth course runs across the base. A continuous cornice sits over the ground and first floors, with a dentilled and modillioned crown cornice over the third floor and a further dentilled cornice over the attic storey.

The principal east elevation displays a sophisticated architectural composition. The attic storey has paired window openings with torus-moulded surrounds flanked by squat Doric pilasters bearing a scallop detail to the base. The second and third floor windows are framed by a Giant Corinthian order of polished red granite engaged columns, set within sandstone Doric pilasters featuring fluted egg-and-dart capitals. Decorative lintel panels between the second and third floors carry floral festoons and are supported on quarter-engaged Doric pilasters. The two central windows are divided by a polished granite Doric pilaster, with the lintel panel bearing gilded lettering reading 'THE BANK BUILDINGS'. The first floor contains a large central thermal window with glazed oculi to the spandrels, flanked by polished granite pilasters rising to the full-span cornice and corresponding to the principal entrance below. Large bipartite fixed-pane display windows flank this feature on either side. The ground floor has a central double-height glazed entrance screen with shop display windows to either side, all framed by channel-rusticated polished granite Doric pilasters. The cornice above the entrance rises slightly and features a scrolled centrepiece, with a bronze plaque on the fascia reading 'ROBERTSON. LEDLIE. FERGUSON & Co.Ltd.'. Large display windows continue across the ground floor, typical of department store design.

Windows throughout are generally single-pane timber sash to the side elevations and bipartite timber casement to the front elevation. The ground floor has large display windows, and all upper windows feature square-headed openings.

The south side elevation is twenty windows wide. The three easternmost windows continue the detailing of the front elevation. The second and third floor windows are framed by Giant Ionic order sandstone pilasters, with architrave surrounds and projecting moulded sills supported on brackets. The first floor windows are deeply recessed with a continuous moulded sill course, raised-and-fielded apron panels, and splayed outer sills. The ground floor comprises large display windows with ceramic-tiled walls, matching the front elevation treatment.

The rear elevation is abutted by a six-storey office building erected around 1950. The north side elevation has three easternmost windows detailed as per the front elevation, followed by four windows (now blind) detailed as per the south side elevation. The central section of this elevation was rebuilt in red brick around 1980, with the remainder detailed as per the south elevation and constructed in red brick with red sandstone ashlar to the ground floor and mouldings. All windows to this elevation are now blind, with ceramic-tiled bays to the ground floor eastern section.

The building has a natural slate roof with internal rainwater goods. All window frames are timber construction.