Office Building Banner Lane Coventry

This new detached office block in Banner Lane, Coventry, replaces a combined office and factory building which was destroyed by fire. The external cladding consists of prefabricated galvanized steel frames, glazed in the upper half with opaque glass; in the lower with clear glass, and below this insulated solid panels, externally faced in blue. The main staircase opening off the reception area is reinforced concrete, the intermediate landing being cantilevered from the central column, the cantilever supporting the upper and lower flights of the stairs. Although the glazing on either side of the block provides adequate light normally, the drawing office has top lights in addition. The whole building is heated by pierced aluminium panels with glass‑wool insulating material above. To maintain even temperature throughout, weatherstats are incorporated to correct differences between the north and south sides.

Internally all columns have been left from the special sanded shuttering with normal decoration applied direct to the surface. The office floors are finished in linoleum tiles fixed direct to the screed, with a weatherproof membrane underneath the ground‑floor rooms. Wood blocks are used in the main entrance hall. The treads and risers to the r .c. staircase are finished in travertine slabs. The reveals of the exterior concrete columns are slabbed with dull glazed warm grey faience, the fronts being painted black. The lavatory blocks have brick walls finished with Derbyshire spar‑dashed rendering. At the main entrance the structure containing the revolving door is faced externally with travertine marble; the reinforced concrete supporting columns to the main canopy are faced with red granite, and the canopy fascia is in anodized aluminium.

Reference    Architectural Review 1956 page 255-57 with photographs and plans
Reference    Light & Lighting   1955 June, p. 202-203.