1 Upper Crescent & 28 University Road, Belfast

Relatively large three storey restrained Italianate stuccoed terrace town house of 1869 by William Hastings, converted to a bank 2001-02 with large modern style entrance inserted to the W side. The property is set on the corner of Upper Crescent and University Road. The building is now entered from the W elevation. The W elevation itself is asymmetrical. To the left side is a modern access ramp. To the right on the ground floor is a large modern style entrance with recessed plate glass doorway. To the immediate right of the doorway recess is a pair of ATMs. To the left of the entrance are three unevenly spaced plain sash windows with moulded voussoirs. To the first floor are six symmetrically arranged semicircular windows with relatively plain pilaster-like surrounds and moulded archivolts. These windows rest on a cill course. To the second floor are four smaller flat arch windows with plain sash frames and simple moulded surrounds. These windows are also set on a cill course. The N elevation is longer and symmetrical save for the windows to the second floor. To the centre of the ground floor is the original main entrance (no longer used). This consists of a panelled door with semicircular fanlight all set within a deep semicircular headed recess. This recess is flanked with a plain rendered surround which is topped with a small decorative ‘balustrade’ supported on curved brackets with a moulded ‘keystone’ between also acting as a bracket. To the left of the doorway are three windows, as ground floor W elevation, but with the second and third windows narrower. To the right of the doorway are three windows, as previous, but in mirrored formation. To the first floor are seven symmetrically arranged windows, as those to the first floor of W elevation. The second and third and fifth and sixth windows are arranged in pairs, and these, along with the centre window are narrower than the outer windows. To the second floor are eight windows, as those to second floor W elevation. The second and third and fifth and sixth windows are arranged in pairs. The ground floor of both the N and W elevations are finished in rusticated render with vermiculated in-out quoins. The upper floors are in plain render with plain in-out quoins. No access to rear, but from a distance the writers were able to observe two rendered gabled returns which abut eachother, with that to N much larger. The larger gable has a large flat arch vehicle doorway to the ground floor, with a very narrow window to right of this and another similar window to the first floor. The smaller return has a window (with modern two pane frame) to the first floor. The building has a slated hipped roof with a slight overhang supported on a bracketed eaves course. There are four unevenly arranged rendered chimneystacks to the N side all with a bracketed coping and uniform pots. Metal rw goods.