Euston Street Primary School, Euston Street, Belfast, Co Down BT6 9AG

Euston Street Primary School is a large, mainly single-storey, hipped-roof red brick and sandstone school built in 1925 to designs by William George Davies, who served as Architect to the Belfast Education Committee from 1924 to 1926. Davies was possibly Yorkshire-born. Together with the school in Templemore Avenue, Euston Street was the first of the new elementary schools to be opened in Northern Ireland following the passing of the 1923 Education Act. The foundation stone was laid on 21 January 1925, and the building — described at the time as "vastly superior to any school previously erected in Ulster" — was formally opened on 10 July 1926. Construction cost approximately £30,000, though a contemporary estimate of around £35,000 also exists.

The school is figure-of-eight in plan, with classroom accommodation grouped around two open-air quadrangles separated by a central assembly hall. It is situated to the west of the Castlereagh Road and was originally surrounded by typical Belfast terrace houses, most of which have since been demolished.

The East Elevation and Entrance Bay

The centrepiece of the east elevation is a symmetrical, two-storey, hipped-roof entrance bay of a somewhat neo-Georgian character. A double, half-glazed front door sits at the head of a short flight of steps. Directly above the door is a distinctive fanlight featuring a Roman-like "X" motif with margin panes. The stone surround dressing includes a stylised keystone bearing the date 1925. Above this is a nine-pane Georgian-style window with a small top-hung light, and above that a colourful bas-relief carved coat of arms of the City of Belfast. The door and window sit within a slightly recessed stone panel that rises above the parapet and is flanked by plain stone pilasters. To either side of the central door arrangement is a canted, two-storey, flat-roofed bay, dressed in plain sandstone. The windows in these bays appear to be original steel Crittal-type frames set in timber sub-frames. Those on the front face are three-over-six panes with top-hung upper openers; those on the sides are one-over-two with the upper being top-hung. Between these bays and the central door, the walls are plain red brick. The central section has a hipped roof covered in natural slate with a tall, plain chimney stack to either side. At the centre of the ridge is a tall square fleche, finished in timber and lead sheet.

To the left of the entrance bay are four large windows, each comprising two frames, each frame having three tall panes in a two-over-six arrangement with the upper lights being top-hung. These are steel frames set in timber sub-frames. Each window is separated from its neighbour by a slender brick pier, and the piers that mark the edge of each classroom rise above the eaves, breaking the line of the ogee gutter and necessitating numerous rainwater downpipes with decorative rainwater heads. The wall below the sills is plain brick. The windows throughout the school — except where noted otherwise — appear to be original.

At the far left, an end bay projects slightly forward. This bay has a central stone panel with a simple square motif at the base, above which is a three-over-six-over-three window; the top light is top-hung and the bottom light is bottom-hung. Above the window is a simplified carved coat of arms. This bay has a high parapet. To either side of the window are further three-over-six-over-three windows as described. The bay is framed with shallow pilasters, and above and below the side windows are slightly recessed panels in the brickwork. The arrangement to the right of the entrance bay mirrors that to the left.

The South Elevation

To the right side of the south elevation is a projecting bay. At ground level are three rendered panels, which are in fact bricked-up windows to a semi-basement. Above these are three three-over-six-over-three windows. This section has a hipped roof. The centre recessed bay has a small flat-roofed porch to either side, each with doors at the head of a short flight of steps and stone surrounds with keystones. The panel above the left-hand door is inscribed "Boys". Between the entrances are nine two-over-six double-frame windows with brick piers and rendered panels below, as before. At the centre of the main roof is a plain chimney stack without pots. To the far left is a projecting bay matching that to the right.

The West Elevation

To the right of the west elevation is a bay with seven two-over-six windows and rendered panels below, with a hipped roof. The larger central section has seven double frames, each comprising three two-over-six windows separated from their neighbours by brick piers that, in this instance, do not rise above the eaves. At the far right is a small projecting hipped-roof bay, slightly lower than the rest. Its south face has a small two-over-two window, and its west face has double two-over-two frames; all have top openers.

The North Elevation

To the right side of the north elevation is a recent flat-roofed extension that projects slightly forward. Its right side has six evenly spaced high-level pivot windows; its west face is blank; and its east face has a modern glazed door screen with glazed margins. The north face of the original projecting bay is obscured by this extension but retains its hipped roof. To the left of the extension is a wide section with nine evenly spaced windows, each with double two-over-six frames, the upper two-pane section being top openers. Shallow pilasters rise above eaves level and flank the centre window, framing a small carved stone plaque that reads "Euston St. Senior P.E. School". This raised panel has a vaguely Art Deco character. To the far right is a further projecting bay. Its north face has three evenly spaced three-over-six-over-three windows. On its west face is a small flat-roofed porch with a stone surround and an inscribed panel over the door reading "Girls". A recently added canopy supported on a metal pole projects from the west face of the porch. Both this porch and the flat-roofed extension to the right side are fitted with anti-climbing devices in the form of spiked rollers.

The Interior and Courtyards

At the centre of the complex is a general-purpose assembly hall and gymnasium, which rises higher than the surrounding classroom blocks. The classrooms and corridors are arranged around this central hall to form two courtyards — one to the north and one to the south. Circulation was originally via covered but open-sided walkways along the inner edges of the courtyards; these have since been sheeted over to create enclosed corridors, though the date of this change is not known.

South Courtyard: The north face of the south courtyard is formed by the side wall of the assembly hall, which has seven window openings each with paired two-over-six frames. To the far right is a small single-storey section with two small windows. The remaining three sides are enclosed corridors, with the lower portions of the walls panelled and the upper portions glazed with modern glazing. Above each corridor, the side walls of classrooms feature clerestory windows, all with paired two-over-two frames. Below the corridor on the south side, high-level windows light the semi-basement.

North Courtyard: The south face of the north courtyard is formed by the south face of the assembly hall. To the left side is a small flat-roofed projection with three windows, and on its east face is a sheeted double-door arrangement. To the upper level are a series of clerestory windows. At the far left, above the corridor, is a linking block extending to the rear of the two-storey entrance section, with a window of paired frames. The east and west faces of the courtyard each have covered corridors with clerestory lights to classrooms, as before. The south face of the north courtyard has three classrooms, each with a large window comprising six two-over-four-over-two frames and separating piers, and a small window with paired two-over-four frames at the far right. This courtyard is used by nursery children.

Alterations and Historical Notes

The building has seen relatively little alteration. Small extensions were added to the north-western corner and the northern side of the assembly hall after 1968. The inner corridors, originally open, have been enclosed, though the date of this is unknown. The original railings were removed at some point after March 2001.