National Buildings, 14 St Mary’s Parsonage, Manchester

NATIONAL BUILDINGS, ST MARY’S PARSONAGE, MANCHESTER - This company has obtained an excellent site, with first rate lighting, fronting St Mary’s Gardens and backing on to the River Irwell. It is close to the Royal Exchange, Deansgate, and St Ann's Square, Manchester. The building is in course of erection, from the designs of Mr Harry S Fairhurst ARIBA, of Spring Gardens. The elevation is in vitreous terra cotta and red brick and the construction is fire resisting. The plan shows the arrangement of the two blocks of offices. Heating and ventilation are on the most up to date plan. The sanitary provisions are for both sexes on each floor. The upper part of the premises is intended for the requirements of professional and commercial offices let to tenants. [ Building News 8 April 1910, page 479 and illustration.]

NATIONAL BUILDINGS - Before the year is out Manchester is to have a handsome addition to her buildings in the shape of the new offices of the National Boiler and General Insurance Company in St. Mary's Parsonage. These fine new buildings have become necessary owing to the continual increase in the Company's work, and are large enough to accommodate not only their staff of about 200 clerks and officials, but also to provide a number of offices for other tenants. National Buildings," as they are called after the name of the Company which has built them, have been designed by Mr. Harry S. Fairhurst, A.R.I.B.A., and are equipped in the best style of modern office buildings.

The site chosen by the Company in St. Mary's Parsonage shows a good deal of foresight on their part.  One of the most striking developments in the streets of Manchester of late years has been the growing importance of Deansgate as a business thoroughfare. Not many years ago Deansgate could hardly be considered part of the centre of the city. but now it compares favourably with Cross Street and Piccadilly in point of importance. The construction of the Deansgate Arcade and the block of buildings which contain it helped of course to brighten the street and to induce business to take up their offices on the western side overlooking St. Mary's Garden. The National Boiler Company have boldly put up their building the other side of the garden and have thereby extended the business centre of Manchester right up to the side of the river. This is a great gain to the city. St. Mary's Parsonage and Gardens in a few years be the favourite spot for business men who want offices near the Exchange and near the principal railway stations. It is easy to see how favoured this particular place is compared with the business quarters in the city. The Victoria and Exchange Stations are closely adjoining. The Central Station can be reached in five minutes and London Road Station in ten. Further. to each of termini there is a constant stream of cars along Deansgate or Market Street. The Royal Exchange is within three minutes' walk of the new building. Other schemes are afoot that will make great changes in the Parsonage. On other side of the Garden a new and handsome building is being erected for the Diocesan Offices. Other people are attracted by the advantages of a site that must be almost unique.

Although, as has been shown, the new National Buildings are well within the business centre of the city, yet they have open spaces both at the back and the front. In the front St. Mary's Garden is of course quite a big open space, and at the back there is open space across the full width of the river. This, of course, is an advantage of enormous value and is probably without parallel in any other part of the City. The question of light is the chief difficulty in all office buildings. The basement in the new National Buildings with its big windows has more light than first floor offices have in most other City buildings. For this reason, there will doubt be a brisk demand for offices in the new buildings among engineers, architects, and other professional men whose first need in their business quarters is plenty of light. The buildings face the south-east, so that the back faces north-west, or, as a matter of fact, rather north of north-west, for the back and front are not quite parallel. The offices at the back therefore should be useful for cotton merchants and others who like a good northerly light for the examination of cotton. The nearness of the building to the Exchange should also be an attraction to cotton. merchants. These are a few of the substantial advantages of the site of the National Buildings. Of other points it is something, and perhaps more than business men are apt to think. that the front offices overlook St. Mary's Garden, which is a very pleasant place indeed in summer and better than a noisy crowded thoroughfare in winter. The increasing noise of our streets grows more and more distracting. The hoot of the motor horn and the incessant clang of the tramcars are recent additions to the roar of a traffic that was trying enough for our nerves before. The new buildings are far removed from that nuisance. As to the back, it is hardly necessary to say that since the increased stringency of the Rivers Pollution Act the river is quite beyond reproach. Everybody in Manchester knows that nowadays, though not beautiful, it is no longer objectionable in the slightest degree. The satisfaction that future tenants of the offices at the back have in their wide outlook not be marred by any trouble of that description.

Mr. Fairhurst's design for the new building is in the Classical style, carried out in vitreous terra-cotta and brick, which blend excellently and which should keep a bright and clean appearance far better than stone buildings in a smoky city. The design is clean and sharp, not overburdened with detail. It leans neither toward the rococo nor to the clipped and shorn style which is so deplorably common in the newer buildings. The cornices are bold and the decorations are planted without mistrust in their right places, giving dignity and individuality to the whole exterior.

The interior of a building to be used for offices is of even greater importance than the design. In the case of the National Buildings the most Rigorous demands of modern concerns have been met. The premises are light and airy throughout. and planned for comfort and easy working. The building is readily divisible into large or small suites of offices. The sanitary arrangements have received most careful consideration, an important point seeing that a modern office is no longer occupied exclusively by men. Special attention has been given to the heating and ventilating system.  The temperature of the building will be maintained at a comfortable point throughout the day, and the air from time to time will be extracted throughout the whole building. The building of fireproof construction throughout, and when completed will have two passenger lifts, a goods lift, and a loading way.

The building and equipment will be ready for occupation in September. There be available for other tenants after the National Boiler Insurance Company has housed their staff, the basement part of the ground floor. the whole of the first and second floors, and the front part of the third floor. A qualified resident caretaker will have charge of the building. The estate agents, are Messrs. Silk Wilson & Sons, land agents, Bank of Chambers, Tib Lane, Manchester. [Manchester Guardian 8 March 1910 page 5]

Reference        Manchester Guardian 8 March 1910 page 5 and illustration
Reference        Building News 8 April 1910 page 479 and illustration
Reference        Builder 12 March 1910 page 304
Archive           RIBA Drawings Collections:  Manchester: Saint Mary's Garden, design for National Boiler & General Insurance, 1908-09 [PA305/7(1-6)]