St. James Buildings, Manchester

Summary

St James Buildings is a high-rise, Grade II listed building on Oxford Street, Manchester, England, completed in 1912. The building was constructed in the Edwardian Baroque style and has a Portland stone exterior reaching a maximum height of 60m.

St James Buildings
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Architectural styleEdwardian Baroque[1]
LocationOxford Street, Manchester
Address61–95 Oxford Street
Manchester
Greater Manchester
M1 6EJ
Coordinates53°28′32″N 2°14′30″W / 53.4755°N 2.2416°W / 53.4755; -2.2416
Opened1912[1]
ClientCalico Printers' Association Ltd
OwnerBruntwood
Height60m[1]
Technical details
Floor count9[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Clegg, Fryer & Penman
References
[1]

History edit

The building opened in 1912 as the headquarters of the Calico Printers' Association Ltd, a company formed in 1899 from the amalgamation of 46 textile printing companies and 13 textile merchants. Companies involved in the merger included F. W. Grafton & Co, Edmund Potter & Co, Hoyle's Prints Ltd, John Gartside & Co, F. W. Ashton & Co, Rossendale Printing Company, Hewit & Wingate Ltd, and the Thornliebank Company Ltd.

The renovated building is leased to other businesses by its owner Bruntwood.[2] Notable lessees include Kaplan Financial Ltd, BPP Law School, and the Arup Manchester office who were based on the 8th floor,[3] the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service[4] and the Manchester city centre campus for Edge Hill University [5] mainly for their Paramedic and their Operating department practitioner courses.

Architecture edit

 
Drawing published in 1913.

The building is Edwardian Baroque in style, has a Portland stone exterior and reaches a maximum height of 60m. The architects Clegg, Fryer & Penman designed the long façade with three slightly protruding pavilions with grossly inflated pilasters and pediments; in the centre the principal pediment is topped by a stumpy tower which breaks through the cornice line. The lowest third of the façade is emphasized by rustication and by having a more elaborate arrangement of windows.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "St James Buildings". skyscrapernews.com. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  2. ^ "St James'". Bruntwood. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Manchester - Arup". Arup. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  4. ^ "Medical Practitioners' Tribunal Service". M.P.T.S. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Edge Hill University Campus". E.H.U. Campuses. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  6. ^ Atkins, Philip (1976) Guide across Manchester. Manchester: Civic Trust for the North West ISBN 0-901347-29-9; p. 99