48-50 Fountain Street, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT1 5EE

A three storey, Victorian building, dated 1888, in Dutch style by Godfrey Ferguson situated on the east side terrace of Fountain Avenue in Belfast city centre. Pitched natural slate roof behind a crow stepped gable with modern rooflights; round uPVC rainwater pipe to left side, square metal to right side. Wall of red brick mainly English Garden Wall bond with some herringbone panels; sandstone parapet copings, string courses and window-head arch panels to first floor; cast iron date 1888 fixed to gable, two digits to either side of uppermost window. Giant brick pilasters and curvilinear arched inset panels frame the bays of the first and second floors with a central oval window at the apex; second floor windows have round arched heads; first floor window heads are square with inset moulded arches over. The ground floor has the original four pilasters with 'roundel and triglyph' capitals, a modern fascia and original moulded cornice over. The apex window is multi-paned timber, first and second floor windows are uPVC, ground floor has modern shop windows flanking a modern doorcase and sliding doors. The west elevation is symmetrical around the stepped pedimented gable with central circular window. The second floor has two windows with flanking brick panels; the first floor four windows; the ground floor has four pilasters, the central entrance bay is slightly wider than those to either side. The north elevation is abutted and obscured by a four storey 20th century building. The south elevation is now an internal wall with doorways leading to a corridor running full width on each floor. These corridors are accessed by a stair in the 1990s extension to The Linenhall Library (HB26/50/013). The east elevation is abutted and obscured. Setting The building sits hard on the pavement to the east side of the busy pedestrianised Fountain Avenue. It has a 1990s link to the south connecting it with The Linenhall Library (HB26/50/013) beyond which is Scottish Provident HB26/50/012 which creates a visual stop to the end of Fountain Avenue. Materials: Roof slate Walls brick Windows timber and uPVC RWG metal and pvc.