Grand Central Bar, 27 Strand Road, Londonderry, Co.Londonderry, BT48 7BJ

Grand Central Bar is a Victorian end-terrace commercial building of three storeys, built in 1895 by an unknown architect. It occupies a prominent corner site at the junction of Strand Road and Great James Street in Londonderry, with three bays facing Strand Road to the east and six bays facing Great James Street to the north.

The building is constructed of red brick laid in Stretcher bond with painted stucco dressings to the upper floors. It is rectangular in plan and topped by a hipped slate roof behind a low parapet wall. The original balustraded parapet was removed around 2006.

The principal elevation on Strand Road features a ground floor with two openings: a round-headed arch to the right containing a metal roller shutter, and a double-width basket handle arch window bay to the left, also with a metal roller shutter. These openings are divided by fluted pilasters with Corinthian order capitals topped by corbel brackets with stylised acanthus leaf detail flanking the fascia. The archway heads have moulded rendered dressings. Gilded lettering spelling "F. Mulhern" appears on the fascia above.

The upper floors of the Strand Road elevation have segmental arched heads to the bays containing 1 over 2 timber sliding sash windows, with replacement windows installed on the first floor around 1985. Brick piers divide the upper floor bays. A painted rendered string course runs between the first and second floors, and painted keystones mark the first floor window bays. Rusticated quoins flank either end of the elevation. A moulded frieze with dentilled cornice tops the second floor bays, above which sits the low parapet wall with rendered painted piers, now missing ironwork, and end blocks.

The north elevation facing Great James Street is similarly detailed. The ground floor has round-headed arch openings divided by fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals topped by corbel brackets with stylised acanthus leaf detail. These openings contain metal roller shutters and have moulded rendered arch heads. The fascia carries gilded lettering reading "Grand Central Bar". Upper floors feature segmental arched bays with 1 over 2 timber sliding sash windows, with replacement windows at first floor level around 1985, including a tripartite window on this elevation. Brick piers divide the second floor bays. A painted rendered string course separates the first and second floors, with painted keystones on the first floor bays. Rusticated quoins appear at both ends of the elevation, and a moulded frieze with dentilled cornice crowns the second floor bays. The parapet wall above mirrors the Strand Road details, with rendered painted piers and end blocks, ironwork missing.

The south side is adjoined to the neighbouring property at No. 25 Strand Road. The west elevation presents a gable wall abutted at ground floor level by No. 1 Great James Street, with blank cement-rendered finish above on the upper floors. A substantial red brick chimney stack with stepped brick cornice and five buff clay pots rises from this elevation.

The building is roofed in natural slate with uPVC rainwater goods. Windows are timber sliding sash where original or 1 over 2 as replacements. The walling is brick with stucco dressings throughout.

The building is located on the west side of Strand Road close to the River Foyle, which lies to the east. It sits within a terrace of generously scaled red brick commercial buildings of varying type and style, positioned outside and between the boundaries of the Historic City and Clarendon Street Conservation Areas.