Northumberland Road, City Hall

The City Hall and Baths (HER 6248) were built in 1928 by C. Nicholas and J.E. Dixon Spain. Neo-Georgian design with a colonnaded entrance. City Hall and Public baths. 1928. Designed by Nicholas and Dixon-Spain.Steel
framed, brown brick with ashlar and red brick dressings, and slate hipped
roofs. Ashlar plinth. Northumberland Road, front two storeys and 25 windows.
Central entrance block, 7 windows with slightly projecting 3 window centre
topped by a large pediment with circular window. 3 round headed arches with
panel pilasters, rusticated ashlar and above a deeply moulded band. Above 3
glazing bar sashes the central one with a moulded ashlar surround and brackets
supporting a flat hood. Set-back on eitherside, a rusticated ashlar and above
a deeply moulded band. Above 3 glazing bar sashes the central one with a
moulded ashlar surround and brackets supporting a flat hood. Set-back
eitherside, a rusticated ground floor with small barred basement windows and
above single glazing bar sashes. Upper floor has single glazing bar sashes.
Outer bays, set back again, also have glazing bar to each floor. 9 window
side wings are similar, each has tall ashlar Doric portico with central
columns between flanking antae, which project slightly in front of further
antae topped by a heavy entablature and parapet. Set back on eitherside are
blank walls, with further blank walls beyond. Above 5 square windows with
moulded surrounds, set back on eitherside are single small square windows, and
further single windows beyond all topped by a coped parapet. College Street
front, 2 storey, 11 window front. Central, slightly projecting, 9 windows
articulated with giant Doric pilasters, with ashlar bases and red brick
dressings. Bays 4 and 6 have doorways with double panel doors and bolection
mould surrounds, the remaining ground floor openings are square with plain
stone surrounds. Above the doorways are tall panels with red brick surrounds.
Above a thick ashlar band and 9 windows with moulded ashlar surrounds and
bracketed cills, the central 7 openings have glazing bar cross casements and
the outer ones are blind. Above a dentilated entablature with brick frieze and
panel parapet above. Set back at eitherside a single bay, with double panel
doors and bolection mould surrounds, above a single glazing bar sash to each
floor with red brick surrounds and above a plain entablature. John Dobson
Street front is similar with giant Doric pilasters supporting an entablature
and panel parapet, with 3 large round headed doorways with moulded ashlar
surrounds and large keystones, at the centre and over bays. Between 3 square
windows on eitherside with plain ashlar surrounds, and above 9 square windows
with moulded ashlar surrounds. At rear a tall tapering octagonal brick chimney
stack with ashlar moulded cap. INTERIORS. City Hall has marble lined foyer
with 3 round arches at either end, with mahogany and gilt fans, and between
2 urn shaped lamps. The north wall has 3 similar arches with double panel
doors, and the south wall has 3 similar arches with double panel doors, and
the south wall has 5 similar entrance arches with double glazed doors and
fanlights. Deeply coffered plaster ceiling: Eitherside are staircases with
metal balustrades with wave mould decoration. Hall is rectangular with
narrower raised stage to north, and a large gallery with extended curved sides
to the south. Gallery front decorated with rosettes, panels and wave moulds.
Deeply coved ceiling above dentilated cornice, with elaborate coffered centre.
Behind the stage a later organ in an eighteenth century style case. Public
Baths have rectangular foyer with round headed plaster openings and deeply
moulded coving, and groin vaulted corridors. Mens bath has large rectangular
tiled pool, and cantilevered viewing gallery around 3 slides with curved metal
railings with Greek-key pattern, stepped wooden decking and wooden rails.
Coffered plaster ceiling with central segmentally curved central section with
sunken overlights. Womens bath similar, though smaller, without the gallery,
and with a simpler ceiling with curved centre and overlights. Turkish bath has
ashlar Doric pilasters and dado, mahogany panelled changing rooms and doors,
circular glazed dome and coffered ceiling plus inlaid floor. Steam room has
groin vaulted ceiling with 3 circular domes, and marble slabs. LISTED GRADE 2