Union Bank of Manchester South Parade Rochdale

Designed in a highly distinctive and individual Edwardian Mannerist style, this impressive, eye catching early-C20 bank has a monumental and sculptural quality which marks it out from the more mundane banks of the period.  Its central tower is topped with four giant female figures seated round an  octagonal lantern and cupola, and the building's emphatic, elongated forms are expressed in high-quality ashlar stone and granite, enriched with much carving and detailing.  Particularly notable on the front elevation are the Michelangelo-inspired draped allegorical figures who sit beneath the eaves of the building. The two central relief-carved figures represent Justice, one holding scales and the other a sword. Two further pairs of figures represent the Arts: to the left is an artist holding a palette and brush, and a musician holding a lyre, while to the right is an architect with a model of the bank, and a sculptor holding a statue.  The building continued to operate as a bank through much of the C20, but latterly the ground floor has become a bar, with office and residential accommodation above.

Reference           English Heritage Designation Yearbook 2012-2013