Belfast Harbour Office, Corporation Square, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT1 3AL

Belfast Harbour Office

A freestanding symmetrical two-storey Italianate Palazzo style harbour office with attics to the wings and a partial basement, built in stages. The east front was constructed around 1852 to designs by George Smith, with the south entrance front and west wing added in 1895 to designs by W.H. Lynn. The building occupies a prominent position between Clarendon Dock and Corporation Square, overlooking Donegall Quay, and has a U-shaped footprint facing south. The east wing is wider and longer than the west, connected by a link block to a substantial modern extension extending northwards towards Clarendon Dock, with a lower return abutting the rear of the west block.

The roofing is complex, comprising hipped and pitched natural slate with leaded hips and ridges, and pitched rooflights over stairwells, all concealed behind a parapet. A stone cupola sits at the internal angle of the central and east blocks, topped with a polygonal leaded roof. It has a square ashlar sandstone base with filleted corners, featuring full-height round-headed 2/2 sash windows to each face (the east face partially infilled with a timber sheeted door). These windows are flanked by pilasters that pierce a cornice and rise towards clocks, with an ornate replacement stone carving now remaining only above the south clock. The structure rises to a polygonal lantern stage with rebated round-headed openings to each facet, impost mouldings and keyblocks, topped by a moulded stone architrave and overhanging cornice. Tall ashlar sandstone chimneystaacks with tapered stone caps rise from the parapet throughout the building.

Leaded parapet gutters and cast-iron downpipes drain the building. The walling is ashlar sandstone except where otherwise stated. The ground floor features band-rustication on a deep plinth, with narrow string courses at cill level and a heavy moulded string between floors. A heavy overhanging cornice supported on stone console brackets runs throughout and is topped by attic storeys to the wings and a balustraded parapet to the central block and east elevation. The attics have dentil cornices and balustraded parapets. Ground floor windows are round-headed 1/1 sashes with panelled aprons, set in alcoved surrounds with keyblocks. First floor windows are rectangular side-hung casements with top-lights, typically with projecting bracketed cills and pediments. Diocletian windows light the attic storeys, set in moulded reveals surmounted with carved stone festoons.

The south entrance elevation is symmetrically arranged, comprising a recessed central block six windows wide, fronted by a portico, and flanked by projecting wings with attic storeys. The portico is Ionic prostyle tetrastyle in antis, topped by a balustraded parapet. Access is via six stone steps leading to a stone flagged platform. Statuary alcoves with scallop shell motifs decorate the antae. The central section contains three irregularly spaced casement windows with chamfered cills and a coffered ceiling. Double-leaf half-glazed principal access doors stand to the left, with a single varnished timber door to the right. A staged recessed opening to the right descends to the basement, with a window to the left end. The first floor windows are arranged as an arcade, set in round-headed recesses with ornately carved tympana, archivolt and keyblock. The flanking wings are three windows wide to each floor; first floor windows feature outer triangular pediments and central segmental pediments on console brackets. Diocletian windows to the attic storeys are divided by dwarf piers and terminated by panelled piers supporting clustered chimneystaacks.

The west elevation is symmetrical, dominated by a full-height bowed bay with a balustraded parapet. Detailing matches the south elevation, with three windows to each floor at the bowed bay, flanked by two windows either side. Cast-iron ventilation grilles appear at low level.

The north elevation of the west wing is abutted by the lower return beneath attic level. This section is plainly detailed with ruled-and-lined rendered walling and a plain parapet over a cornice, featuring a dentilled cornice between ground floor and mezzanine level, and upper storey. Windows are irregularly arranged, all 1/1 sashes with plain reveals and a continuous stone sill course to the upper floor. A four-panelled timber door opens to the north, with a lift shaft extension and modern glazed porch to the east.

The main rear (north) elevation comprises an L-shaped arrangement formed by the rear of the central block and west elevation of the east wing. Detailing varies slightly, with a lighter cornice supported on small reeded brackets with paterae between, over a dentil course, and topped by a balustraded parapet. A continuous sill course runs to the first floor, with chamfered sills to the ground floor. Windows have plain reveals. To the right side of each floor are leaded-and-stained glass Serliana windows. To the left are two round-headed windows over two pairs of narrow rectangular windows with multi-paned square lights. The west-facing section has three 2/2 sash windows to each floor (margin paned to the left side first floor) and camber-headed openings to the basement, with plain rectangular openings to the right side. The north elevation of the east wing, abutted by the modern extension, has a single window to each floor on the right and two windows to each floor on the left, with multi-paned basement openings at ground level (blind to the right side).

The east elevation is symmetrically arranged above the basement, with the cupola forming a central feature. It comprises a recessed central section four windows wide, flanked by projecting end bays one window wide. First floor windows to the projecting bays have segmental pediments and balustraded balconettes; ground floor windows have square-headed sidelights. The south cheek of the left projecting bay is one window deep, recessed behind the principal elevation when viewed from the south.

The building is set on the west side of Belfast Harbour, accessed from Corporation Square and set back from Donegall Quay. It forms part of the Clarendon Dock complex, which includes two late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century graving docks and the Clarendon Buildings. To the east lies a car park and vacant lot enclosed by steel security fencing, with views towards the Odyssey and Titanic Quarter. To the west stands Sinclair Seamen's Presbyterian Church, and to the north are car parks and the Clarendon Dock development. The front of the building is bounded by cast-iron railings with matching entrance gates. Similar railings flank the entrance steps, terminated by granite pedestals supporting lamp standards.