Royal Insurance Offices 67 King Street Manchester

INSURANCE OFFICES IN MANCHESTER - The Gothic design by Mr Waterhouse is perhaps the best example of domestic Gothic in Manchester. The building is three stories high, with dormer windows above. There are two entrances, over which are small balconies. The windows are round‑headed, but the hood moulds form a pointed arch, enclosing voussoirs of different coloured stone C a light blue stone alternating with the light‑coloured stone of the walling. The carving to the caps of the bold shafts in the first story is a little Byzantine in form and character, but nevertheless good. Polished granite shafts are introduced in the upper stories between the windows, in one story coupled and in the other used singly. The caps of these shafts are more nearly approaching the early English style, and are considerably smaller than those in the first storey. The dormers are surmounted by storks, or birds of a similar kind, which form a very agreeable termination to the gables, and have an appearance of newness, which is decidedly an improvement on the conventional forms so generally placed there. The arches of the doorways are of very good design, and some of the details are original and pleasing. The carving throughout is well executed, and a considerable amount of thought seems to have been bestowed upon the designs. The lettering between the first and second stories appears to be the weakest portion, and wants distinctness; the carving around it is not sufficiently sunk. The words, "Royal Insurance Buildings," do not stand out boldly as they should in that position, and the foliage around the letters is rather spiritless. Taken, however, as a whole, the design is most satisfactory, and far in advance of most of the domestic Gothic which is generally produced. The cornice, chimney caps, strings, etc, are well treated, and the returns, or sides of the building, which appear above the adjoining houses, are built of brick, with broad stone bands, in such a manner as to be pleasing to the eye, though less costly and less ornamental than the front. This part is, in most of our modern works, entirely neglected, and frequently forms a disagreeable contrast to the better portions. The practice of throwing all the ornament into the elevation of an edifice facing a principal street, and leaving the other sides bare and unattractive, is one which all must condemn: yet so general is the fault, that it has become the rule rather than the exception, more particularly with those who do not understand their profession, or who look more to the five per cent, from their clients, than to the praise and admiration of a nation. [Building News, 6 June 1862 pages 389-390]

This building, which has been erected by the Royal Insurance Company, for the accommodation of their rapidly increasing business in Manchester, was described somewhat at length in our issue of the 6th June, in an article on ‘”Manchester Insurance Offices.” It is, therefore, only necessary in the present article to call attention to some few points in its construction, which were then not sufficiently advanced to be noticed. The open area for light in the centre of the building is not large, as the site is too narrow to admit of its being so; but by keeping down the caves of the inner roofs, avoiding cornices and other projections, and by the use of whit* glazed tiles, with narrow encaustic borders on the wall surfaces, the rooms looking into tho area, even on the ground floor, are well lighted. The bottom of the area is formed by the glass roof over the centre of the basement. The staircase’ is carried up in one corner of the area, and opens into it through arches divided by cast iron columns. The general office of the Company is in front of the building on the ground floor, and is entered from the street by a small vestibule fitted up in oak inlaid with ebony. The part of the office devoted to the public is divided from the other portions of the building by an arcade of Caen stone, supported on shafts of vertdemer marble. The ceiling is deeply panelled, the walls wainscoted in oak, the chimney-pieces of vert-de-mer and black marbles.

In front of one of the balconies over the entrances, are the royal arms, in that of the other, those of Manchester and Liverpool upon one escutcheon, the latter place being the head-quarters of the Company. The 'storks,' mentioned in our former article as surmounting the dormers, prove to be livers — that fabulous or extinct bird which gives to Liverpool her name and crest. The lettering, which we criticised in our previous article, as wanting relief, we understand, has been purposely so treated by the architect with the intention of its being gilded. The front of the building is of the hardest Huddersfield stone, from the Warwick quarries, alternating in the voussoirs of the arches with blue stone from the Forest of Dean. All the shafts are of polished red Aberdeen granite.

On the whole, this building may be taken as a very good example of the great progress in business architecture which has signalised the last few years. And as the Royal Insurance Company ranks among the foremost prudential institutions of the country, it will not be out of place if we give, side by side with a pictorial illustration of its most recent addition to its business premises, a few particulars of general interest, touching its commercial position and resources. [Building News, 8 August 8, 1862 page 106]

Reference    Building News, 6 June 1862 pages 389-390
Reference    Building News, 8 August 8, 1862 page 106 and illustration
Reference    Manchester Guardian June 1862 page