Description
Office of Works, (C J W Simpson chief architect post
1922) circa 1922. Massive classically derived telephone
exchange building with main elevation to College Street
and long return elevation to Shuttle Street. 5-storeys
and basement, polished grey granite basement, polished
ashlar walling, banded to advanced bays.
COLLEGE STREET ELEVATION: 7-bay arranged with bays
flanking centre (entrance) bay and terminal bays
narrower, shallow advanced and taller with single light
windows. Otherwise tripartite windows to wider bays,
central bay has main entrance, subsidiary entrances to
terminal bays.
CENTRAL ENTRANCE: disc band margin, deep cavetto reveals,
door modern glazed and metal framed. Above door, panel
with coat of arms breaks into semi-circular 1st floor
window. Doors at terminal bays, architraved with oculus
over, panelled double-leaf doors.
Ground and 1st floor windows set in shallow recessed
panels of masonry, ground floor windows with column
mullions, 1st floor windows being semi-circular with
small-pane glazing and top-hopper windows. Other
windows tripartite or single light. Windows with sash and
case 12-pane glazing, plate-glass to lower sashes of
ground floor only.
Cartouches flank central 4th floor window, deep cornice,
plain parapet stepped up over central bay.
SHUTTLE STREET ELEVATION: similarly detailed 5-bay
elevation. All windows tripartite, to end bays blind,
shallow advanced bands of masonry. Deep cornice and
plain parapet.