Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3SU

Dundonald House is a large, imposing International Style government office complex built in 1961-3 to designs by Robert Hanna Gibson. Constructed for the Northern Ireland Ministry of Agriculture, it remains in use as civil service offices. The building consists of two long overlapping blocks — one of twelve storeys and rectangular, the other seven storeys and subtly curved — linked by a central seven-storey entrance cube. The blocks are predominantly clad in Portland limestone.

Setting and Site Layout

The building stands within a largely unaltered open parkland site on the southern side of the Stormont Estate, approximately four kilometres east of Belfast city centre. It occupies flat ground between the southern slopes of the Holywood Hills and the northern side of the Upper Newtownards Road, a major arterial route. The building is surrounded by car parking and two single-storey prefabricated buildings. Originally, access to the grounds opened directly off Upper Newtownards Road, making the main entrance on the west side of the linking block. This access was subsequently closed and the Stoney Road entrance on the eastern boundary became the main vehicular access. The setting has seen some changes over the years, most notably the creation of additional car parking to the south and east, alterations to the area immediately around the main entrance in the form of pillars and planters, and the placing of two low-level modular buildings to the south and east. However, the majority of the green space and planting remains in place and continues to complement the overall composition.

The original front and rear entrance locations are of long standing, the western entrance being on the site of the entrance to Rose Park, a pre-1830s country residence whose grounds were later subsumed into those of Stormont Castle. A gate screen and accompanying lodge of circa 1858-60 were removed in 1962.

Construction and Overall Form

Dundonald House comprises three reinforced concrete framed blocks set over a basement. The southern block rises to twelve storeys, while the northern block, which is slightly curved, reaches seven storeys. The linking block contains a double-height ground floor entrance lobby on its western side with five storeys above, slightly set back, and an additional roof-level pavilion. The eastern side of the linking block rises to fourteen storeys, the upper two floors being plant areas. The top level of the southern block, which contains the canteen, is slightly set back on the east and west sides. The north and south wings are offset and abut the linking block on its north and south faces respectively.

Set slightly to the east side, a tunnel extends the entire length of the building with domed rooflights (a later addition) set at building ground level along its length. At either end, open ramps rise back to ground level.

Entrances

There are four pedestrian entrances. The main entrance is on the west side of the linking block, while the staff car park entrance is on the east side. There are two further entrances on the west side, one to the north of the north block and one to the south of the south block; these are at the foot of stairwells and are now used as emergency exits. Service entrances open off the basement tunnel.

Fenestration

Fenestration follows function to a degree. Glazing to the general office areas in the north and south blocks is arranged in wide groups of three, whereas windows to the more prestigious office areas in the linking block are square openings punched into the Portland limestone façade. Ancillary accommodation such as stores and toilets has high-level rows of windows. Stairwells have vertical glazing panels. Entrance areas are fully glazed.

Fenestration to general office areas on the east and west façades, though not identical, is very similar. In the central sections, high-level windows lighting the basement combine with ground floor windows to create a subtle plinth effect. In the upper levels (levels one to ten in the south block and levels one to six in the north block), the rows of glazing to general office areas are arranged in threes, though this varies between the blocks. The north block has a horizontal emphasis created with windows and mullions resting on full-width horizontal bands. The south block has a marked vertical emphasis created when mullions extend continuously from top to bottom. The top level of the taller south block is set back.

The fenestration at the ends of the north and south blocks is not original and was re-clad around 2000. Where possible, the Portland stone was re-used; however, the other tile cladding and windows are all replacements.

West Elevation

The main entrance is set on the western side of the ground floor of the linking block. A wide flight of four steps (a later addition) rises to an entrance platform. There are three sets of paired entrance doors. A minimalist cantilevered canopy sails out over the platform. To the left side, a rather crude later addition has been added to give protection to a later wheelchair ramp. The additional section of canopy rests partly on the original cantilevered canopy and partly on square steel columns. Plainly detailed bituminous felt has been added to seal the junction. The underside of the original canopy is finished with mosaic tiles.

There have been some changes to the area immediately in front of the entrance, which was originally plainer. Flanking the steps are screen walls with square pillars; the walls and pillars have matching copestones. Flanking these walls are wide planters; that to the left side has been somewhat altered to integrate a later wheelchair ramp.

The linking block projects forward at this point and the upper floors are supported on exposed double-height, red-marble clad columns. The upper front façade and the exposed portion of the south face of the linking block have hole-in-wall square windows and, above the entrance, the governmental coat of arms. Set back at roof level is a glazed pavilion with an in-situ concrete roof with an upturned front edge. A glazed link-corridor extends back to join the rear of the linking block.

Set back on the left side is the west face of the seven-storey curved north block. The central area comprises rows of glazing with horizontal emphasis (previously described), flanked with a stairwell to the south and a stairwell and ancillary accommodation (formerly a toilet block) to the north. To the left side of the south stairwell is a full-height vertical tiled panel while to the right is a full-height vertical glazed panel. Each upper floor of the toilet accommodation has high-level rows of glazing set on ceramic panels. On the ground floor of this section is a fully glazed secondary entrance with a small cantilevered canopy.

Set back on the right side is the eleven-storey south block. On the far right, creating a stop-end, is the stairwell and ancillary accommodation; as before, this has high-level rows of glazing set on ceramic panels. The right-hand side houses general office accommodation and has rows of glazing with vertical emphasis as described above.

North Elevation

The north façade is plainly clad with Portland limestone panels having a central full-height glazed panel that lights the stairwell. This elevation was re-clad around 2000. Where possible, the Portland stone was re-used; however, the windows are all replacements.

East Elevation

The right side comprises the east façade of the north block. The curve is convex but otherwise identical to the west façade.

At the centre is the east side of the linking block. The centre of this façade is plainly clad in Portland limestone panels. There are only three openings — vents for lifts — on the thirteenth storey. The small square openings each have raised Portland limestone surrounds. To the left side, a Portland limestone-clad chimneystack rises above roof level. The centre and the left side of the central block rise to the fourteenth level. The offset right side has a glazed entrance screen at ground level with squared windows above, rising to the seventh level. This former rear entrance has been changed and a functionally detailed recently added entrance canopy and ramp added along the full length of the linking block.

The left side of the façade comprises the east side of the south block. This has general rows of glazing to the centre (as previously described). On the right side is vertical strip glazing to the stairwell, while the stop-end to the right side comprises the stairwell and ancillary accommodation as before. The ancillary accommodation has high-level rows of windows set on tiled panels.

South Elevation

The south façade matches that to the north with a central vertical glazing panel in plain Portland limestone cladding. This elevation was re-clad around 2000. Where possible, the Portland stone was re-used; however, the windows are all replacements.

Roofs

Roofs are flat with raised parapets. The south block originally had rooflights over the restaurant. Rainwater is carried down within the structure with no external rainwater goods except on the rooftop pavilion, which has circular-section cast-iron downpipes and fixings.

At either end of the roof on both the north and south blocks is a featureless metal-clad box (originally covered in copper cladding) containing water cisterns and lift mechanisms. These are single-storey and have rounded corners. Set on the roof is a UV monitoring station for Northern Ireland, linked to the Met Office in London.

Set back from the parapet on the linking block roof is a small sick-bay pavilion. This is entirely glazed and has an overhanging concrete roof with curved upturned edge to the west side. A flagpole rises through a circular hole in the concrete roof of the pavilion, held in place against strong winds by thin stainless steel fins set in a radial pattern with a central collar.

Materials

Walls are clad in Portland limestone, precast concrete panels, and various ceramic-clad panels. The original tiles were pale green, but the two ends of the north and south blocks have been replaced in recent times with dark grey tiles. Roofs are covered with bituminous felt. Original windows appear to be galvanised steel with original catches and tilt/turn hinges. Replacement glazing appears to be aluminium. Secondary glazing has been added to the office areas.

Gates, Railings, and Site

Front and rear gates and screens are similar. Gate pillars are square and are clad in Portland limestone with stone caps and a shallow projecting plinth. Vehicular gates are large and plain; outer edges run on castors. At either side are matching pedestrian gates. To the right side of the original front gate is a revolving one-way security pedestrian gate.

The southern and eastern boundaries are protected with spear-style metal railings set on copings with diagonal braces to the rear side. Gates and gate pillars have metal spikes. Adjacent to both vehicular entrances are recent barriers and glass-reinforced plastic security huts. Pavements are finished with concrete flagstones; roads and parking areas are finished with tarmac.