109-111 Royal Avenue, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT1 1FF

109-111 Royal Avenue is a former bank building, now in use as offices and a gallery, designed by the architect John Lanyon and built around 1885. It is a terraced, symmetrical, multi-bay building of four storeys with an attic, constructed in sandstone in the neo-classical style, and is a good example of the development of bank buildings during the expansion of commerce in Belfast. Although internal alterations have resulted in changes to the original floor plans and some loss of historic fabric, much decorative stonework survives on the front elevation. The building was extensively renovated around 2000 for use as an arts centre and is now interconnected with the neighbouring No. 113.

The building is rectangular on plan, facing west onto the east side of Royal Avenue. The roof is flat at the rear but has a steep natural slate pitch to the front, with roll-moulded black clay ridge tiles. Large profiled rendered chimneystacks with clay pots rise from both party walls. Replacement square-profile steel guttering is fitted to either end. The roof sits behind a balustraded parapet wall, at the centre of which is a round-headed dormer flanked by decorative profiled sandstone chimneystacks and surmounted by a ball finial. The attic storey rests on a continuous cornice. At either end of the front elevation are pedimented breakfronts, each surmounted by a full pediment with an urn at the apex. Each breakfront has two square-headed openings with balustraded screens and recessed window openings.

The walling is coursed sandstone ashlar with a stepped moulded stone plinth course. Window openings are generally square-headed with moulded architrave surrounds and fitted with single-pane timber sash windows, with timber casements to the oriel windows.

The symmetrical front elevation is five windows wide. The two breakfronts at either end each have an entrance doorway and a two-storey box oriel window above it. The central three bays are slightly set back and defined by giant Ionic order polished pink granite columns running across the first and second floors. Third-floor windows in this central section have lugged and kneed architrave surrounds with foliate carvings to the frieze above; those to either breakfront are bipartite with a central stone mullion, also with foliate carving. The second-floor windows have kneed architrave surrounds and moulded sills supported on foliate brackets, with a Greek key course at sill level. The first-floor windows are segmental-headed, flanked by engaged pilasters to continuous impost mouldings, and accompanied by a Greek key course, decorative overpanels with foliate spandrels, foliate keystones, and a foliate cornice over.

The recessed central bay is defined by the granite columns, which are set on sandstone plinth blocks rising from a pierced balustrade that in turn rests on a fluted cornice framing the ground floor. Responding quarter-engaged pink granite Ionic pilasters stand at either end of the recessed three bays, abutting both oriel windows, and all support an architrave and pulvinated frieze below a modillioned cornice at third-floor level. The first-floor windows in this section are flanked by half-fluted clasping Corinthian pilasters with foliate apron panels. Each oriel window is flanked by a giant pilaster with overscaled foliate console brackets.

At ground-floor level the openings are round-headed, with moulded archivolts springing from impost mouldings forming piers between windows, which are faced with polished pink granite panels. Roundels adorn the spandrels with mosaic monograms, and the openings have carved ancons. The two entrance doorways are also round-headed, with replacement double-leaf timber panelled doors and square overlights, polished pink granite surrounds, moulded archivolts springing from impost mouldings, decorative pilasters with foliate carved panels, and overscaled console brackets with swags supporting the oriel windows above.

The north side elevation is abutted by the adjoining No. 113, and the south side elevation by the adjoining No. 111. The rear elevation is abutted by flat-roofed extensions and an original three-storey return, none of which are visible from the street. The rear yard is now occupied by flat-roofed extensions.

The Northern Bank in Royal Avenue was reported to be in progress in March 1884 and formally opened for business on 2nd January 1885. The contractors were Messrs Silo & Matthews of Great George's Street. The exterior stonework was cut stone from the Dungannon quarries on Lord Ranfurly's demesne. The decorative columns, pilasters, panels and reveals were of polished Shap granite, and the plinth was of polished Castlewellan granite. External stone carving was carried out by a Mr Gilliland, while Riddel & Co provided ornamental ironwork, bells, heating and plumbing.

Internally, the bank office occupied the ground floor, entered through doors at either side. Mahogany and walnut panelling covered the dado, while the upper walls and ceilings were clad in Norway deal. The supporting columns were covered in mahogany with capitals in sycamore. A mahogany counter with walnut balustrading surrounded compartments for clerks. The floors were laid with Minton's encaustic tiles, and the building was heated by hot water, with a fireplace in the manager's office. Internal carving was executed by Purdy & Millard, who later went on to produce the decorative sculptural work on the Scottish Provident Building. The two narrow end pavilions originally had open loggias at the attic storey, which are now glazed.

The first floor was laid out as a suite of offices known as Northern Bank Chambers, which were let to John Lanyon, the architect of the building himself. The second and third floors provided living accommodation for the bank manager, with caretaker's apartments on the attic floor. As was standard practice at the time, the safe could be bolted from the manager's bedroom, and the building was equipped with all modern conveniences including electric bells, speaking tubes, and electric thief and fire alarms.

The site cost £1,200, and the cost of construction was £9,021. The 1901 census records the bank manager, William Roberts, as resident with his wife and five children, one son working as a cashier in the Water Commissioner's office and another as a solicitor. His accommodation on the second floor comprised two sitting rooms, three bedrooms and a WC, with three further bedrooms and a servant's bedroom on the third floor. The caretaker, James Scott, also lived on the premises with his wife and four children, his eldest son of fifteen years working as a clerk in a rope works; his attic accommodation comprised two bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen and pantry.

Valuation records of 1900 valued the bank offices at £580 and the first-floor offices — by then sublet to Biggar and Strahan, solicitors — at £80. The bank manager at the time is recorded in valuer's notes as highly critical of the building, considering the two small safes inadequate for the bank's needs and the ornamentation, particularly of the interior, excessive. The Northern Bank continued to occupy the premises until the 1990s, with various firms occupying the upper floors. The building was restored in 2002 and now houses a gallery on the ground floor with offices on the upper floors.