Lewis and Company Premises, Market Street, Manchester

BUSINESS PREMISES, MARKET STREET, MANCHESTER - This building is being erected for Messrs Lewis and Company, of Ranelagh Street, Liverpool. The show-rooms will occupy the basement, ground, and one and two pair floors, and the third, fourth, and fifth floors appropriated as workrooms. The staircase communicating with the showrooms will be placed in a central position towards the back of the shop. It is circular on plan, spacious, and will be covered, on the three-pair floor, with a dome-light, glazed with embossed and tinted glass, the whole forming a pleasing feature in the arrangement.  A separate iron staircase is arranged at the back for the use of the workpeople and a hoist to communicate with all the floors. There will be a sub-basement for a steam-engine, and the floor immediately above it will be fireproof. The front and side elevations are to be cemented. The frontage to Market-street will be 50 feet 4 inches, and on the angle 9 feet, and the of the building ig 342 superficial yards. The contract has been let to Mr. William Southern, of Salford. [British Architect 29 March 1879 page 134]

In Market-street, between Mosley-street and Fountain-street, two handsome blocks of shops and warehouses have risen on the site of some buildings destroyed by fire in February last, and of others that were previously taken down. One of these blocks is five storeys high, of an ornate appearance, and is in the Renaissance style of architecture.  The Market-street front is divided into three bays, with a broad splayed angle looking towards High-street. The whole site occupies 342 superficial yards.  The columns to the shop-front are of the Tuscan order, The shop entrance is centrally situated and deeply recessed, having curved plate glass windows on each side. The principal feature is the large central oriel window on the two and three pair floors. On the four pair floor above, this oriel is a semi‑circular window spanning tbs entire width of the opening. The whole is terminated with a steep pitched pavilion roof, having lunette lights on which is formed a flat protected by a high ornamental cast iron curb. The flagstaff on the roof is fifty feet high above the flat and carries a gilded eagle with outspread wings. The flat will be rigged in nautical fashion, and from the top the electric light will be displayed. As to the interior, the showrooms will occupy the basement, ground, and one and two pair floors, and the third, fourth, and fifth floors are to be appropriated as workrooms. Kitchen accommodation is arranged on the third floor. In the sub-basement will be placed a steam engine, the floor immediately above being fireproof. The building has been erected for Messrs Lewis of Ranelegh‑street, Liverpool, as their Manchester branch establishment, the architects being Messrs Horton and Bridgford, of Manchester, and the contractor Mr W Southern, of Salford. [Manchester City News 29 November 1879 Page 3]

Reference    British Architect 28 March 1879 page 134
Reference    The Builder 1880: I: 325.
Reference    Manchester City News 29 November 1879 Page 3 Column 5