102-108 Ann Street, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT1 3HU

An attached four-bay four-storey steel-framed red brick commercial block built around 1903, located on the northern side of Ann Street in central Belfast. The rectangular plan building features a concealed basement and half-dormer attic. It is abutted by a full-height gable-fronted single-bay return (also circa 1903) and a two-storey flat-roofed extension (circa 1930) to the rear. The ground floor contains commercial units, with offices and meeting rooms occupying the upper floors.

The pitched natural slate roof is topped with terracotta half-round ridge tiles. Three flat-roofed dormers face north and south. Raised brick verges to the east and west gables and to a bay left-of-centre are topped with chamfered brick coping. The south elevation features a scalloped red brick parapet topped with moulded red sandstone coping and tall pyramidal finials. Parapet gutters with painted uPVC downpipes break through to the outer ends, piercing the sandstone stringcourses. Red brick chimneystacks to the east gable and south pitch of the eastern bay have stepped brick corbels, cementatious coping and a variety of terracotta pots.

The walling is machine-made red brick laid to Flemish bond with ashlar red sandstone dressings. Window openings are largely square-headed with brick architraves. Windows are predominantly side-hinged timber casements with incorporated bipartite overlights. The flat-roofed dormers are lead-capped painted cast-iron and timber with uPVC rainwater goods and tripartite timber casements, some retaining historic glass.

The principal elevation faces south and comprises four bays, three of which are largely symmetrical with three window openings on the upper floors, featuring bipartite windows to the central openings. The narrow fourth bay, positioned east-of-centre, is single-opening wide and contains a shallow breakfront with gauged sandstone pediments over the third-floor window and ground-floor door opening. The entablature of the latter is inscribed 'PRINCES BUILDINGS'. Window aprons throughout contain projecting brick panels. Projecting continuous sandstone cornices run over the third and second floor levels, with flush continuous sandstone lintels to the upper floors. The outer bays are defined by projecting brick piers at third-floor level, carried on T-shaped stylised sandstone corbels extending through to parapet level and topped by sandstone finials.

Five square-headed bays occupy the ground floor: three shopfronts separated by two door openings (the eastern provides access to No.106; the western is located between Nos.102 and 104). The bays are defined by projecting ashlar red sandstone piers clad in polished red granite to the lower half and featuring engaged Ionic pilasters to the upper proportion, which support the fascia level. A continuous painted timber fascia with raised fixed lettering (modern vinyl lettering to the right bay at No.108) is subdivided by a pedimented doorcase to the right-of-centre and surmounted by a continuous sandstone cornice. Modern bipartite aluminium display windows with polished red granite stall-risers and replacement wired glass overlights sit above projecting plastic fascia. Recessed door openings are concealed behind steel roller-shutters with matching overlights. Brass plaques inscribed 'JAMISON & GREEN Ltd' and 'PRINCES BUILDINGS Ltd', along with a letter slot, are mounted on the western pier of the western doorcase.

The west elevation is largely blank, with the left-side containing remnants of a former projecting chimneybreast. Lower levels are abutted by the neighbouring building.

The north elevation is six openings wide with an exposed basement level. A multi-storey gable-fronted return abuts to the left-of-centre. The roof contains a modern Velux window and ventilation stack. A horizontal red brick parapet is pierced by cast-iron downpipes and hoppers. Segmental-headed window openings with brick voussoirs and concrete sills contain largely bipartite timber casements with matching overlights, retaining much historic glass. Openings to the central bay are four lights wide. Windows to the right-cheek of the return are square-headed 1/1 timber sliding sashes, with bipartite casements to the first floor and a diminutive casement to the basement of the gable-fronted elevation. The upper two levels of the western re-entrant angle contain a bowed bay with concrete flat roof and supporting beam, featuring square-headed window openings with bipartite fixed light casements with single overlights. A later flat-roofed red brick two-storey extension over basement abuts to the western re-entrant angle, with bipartite and tripartite square-headed window openings to the upper floors, continuous concrete lintels and sills, multi-paned metal-framed windows, and a ground-floor opening concealed behind a steel roller-shutter. Traces of former abutments to the lower levels of the right-side (now removed) remain visible, with openings boarded up but the steel column of the internal structure exposed.

The east elevation is largely blank except for a pair of plainly detailed diminutive windows to the right-side of the first floor and remnants of a former projecting chimneybreast to the left-side. Lower levels are abutted by the neighbouring building.

The building is street-fronted on the northern side of Ann Street in central Belfast, abutted on each side by lower three-storey commercial blocks. A bituminous macadam yard occupies the rear, bounded by a late 20th-century multi-storey car park to the north and a modern steel fence to the west. The yard is accessed via a modern steel gate to the north-west on Prince's Street. The yard is largely vacant except for remnants of former outbuildings and abutments, and a multi-storey warehouse to the north-east featuring corrugated metal walls over a brick base.