Refuge Assurance Company Phase III. Whitworth Street Manchester

The final phase of development was commissioned in 1920 and completed in 1930. Unlike the other Refuge Assurance offices, this building was of ferro-concrete construction which minimised the imposition of columns in the office areas and allowed clear open spaces throughout the building. Whilst externally the style echoed the original buildings, internally, it was very different. At ground floor level a private road runs between the original building and this last phase giving direct access for loading to the internal areas of the complex and to the garage. At basement level there was a large dinning and assembly hall with fully fitted kitchens extending to some 14,500 square feet.  The hall had a fully sprung dance floor and a comprehensively equipped stage with changing rooms and orchestra pit. The upper floors were essentially uninterrupted open plan areas which over the years were divided into individual offices by non‑structural partitioning.  Air ducts were contained within columns and beams, and a fresh air supply was provided through inlets concealed behind radiators.  The assembly hall/dining area had a separate ventilation system capable of delivering conditioned air at the rate of 50 tons per hour.

Reference    Builder 16 January 1931 Page 170
Reference    Builder 24 April 1931 Page 778 - plans approved, estimated cost £300,000
Reference    Undated sales brochure prepared by W H Robinson, Chartered Surveyors, 79 Mosley Street Manchester on the disposal of the buildings by the Refuge Assurance Company c 1990