155–158 North Street, Brighton

Grade II listed historic building in Brighton, England September 2013 May 2024 155–158 North Street 155 North Street, Brighton.jpg 250px The building from the west-southwest in 2010, before its refurbishment United Kingdom Brighton Location within central Brighton 50.8230 -0.1403 region:GB_type:landmark dec inline,title 155–158 North Street, Brighton, Brighton and Hove BN1 1EA, United Kingdom 1921–23 National Provincial Bank 2010 J D Wetherspoon plc F.C.R Palmer and Clayton & Black (executant architects) Louis XVI Neoclassical Grade II National Westminster Bank, 155–158 North Street 23 June 1994 1380621 The building at 155–158 North Street in Brighton, part of the English coastal city of Brighton and Hove, was built between 1921 and 1923 as a branch of National Provincial Bank. The King Louis-style bank was built on the site of several shops (with offices above). The properties were acquired by the National Provincial Bank during 1916–20. The Brighton Gazette had occupied 155a North Street since 1910, when its long-time home at number 150 was converted into the Cinema de Luxe. Published by William James Towner, the paper’s full title was the Brighton Gazette, Hove Post and Sussex Telegraph (It later became part of National Westminster Bank's network of branches following the merger of National Provincial and Westminster Bank). In 2011 it became J D Wetherspoon's second pub in central Brighton. One of many buildings by the prolific local architecture firm of Clayton & Black, whose work in various styles can be found across the city, it forms an important component of the range of banks, offices and commercial buildings on North Street—a significant commercial thoroughfare since the 18th century. In particular, the "good attention to detail" shown throughout the building's Louis XVI-style façade has been praised. English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance. History Brighton (originally Brighthelmston) originated as a fishing village bounded by four streets named after the points of the compass. The land to the north, west and east was agricultural.Antram Morrice 2008 4. North Street lay on the main route towards London, and it thrived as the town grew in the 18th century: by 1800 it was the centre of commerce, lined with inns, shops and offices.Collis 2010 219. Many buildings on the north side were removed between 1874 and 1879 when the road was widened, and offices and banks were attracted to the area.Antram Morrice 2008 163. Large early 20th-century buildings included offices for the Prudential Association and the Royal Assurance Society and a branch of Midland Bank, and the north side of the street was soon "dominated" by such companies.Collis 2010 219–220.Brighton Polytechnic. School of Architecture and Interior Design 1987 56. National Provincial Bank, a major retail bank founded in 1833,http://www.natwest.com/global/about-us.ashx About Us National Westminster Bank 2008 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130128180343/http://www.natwest.com/global/about-us.ashx 28 January 2013 live dmy sought to open a branch in Brighton, and in 1921 they commissioned the Clayton & Black firm to work with their in-house architect F.C.R. Palmer to design a building on North Street at the corner of Bond Street. The site faced the Midland Bank branch of 1902.Antram Morrice 2008 164. Clayton & Black had nearly 50 years of experience in Brighton and neighbouring Hove, designing an eclectic range of buildings to serve a variety of functions.Antram Morrice 2008 23. Among other commissions, they were responsible for the Royal Assurance Society offices at 163 North Street.Antram Morrice 2008 165. The building was completed in 1923, and it was in use by National Provincial until the bank merged with the Westminster Bank in 1968 to form the National Westminster Bank. The branch was rebranded with that identity. From the 1990s, in response to changes in Government policy over alcohol licensing, many bank branches were sold for conversion into pubs and bars.Sale to Heineken ends RBS's role as one of UK's biggest pub landlords Simon Bowers https://www.theguardian.com/business/2011/dec/02/rbs-heineken-pub-estate-sale The Guardian Guardian News and Media 2 December 2011 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225225540/http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/02/rbs-heineken-pub-estate-sale 25 February 2012 live dmy There was already a National Westminster Bank branch a short distance away, at the corner of North Street and Pavilion Buildings,Antram Morrice 2008 167. and 155–158 North Street was turned into a bar. By the early 21st century it operated under the name Saqqara.http://brighton.myvillage.com/place/the-saqqara-closed-brighton The Saqqara (CLOSED) 2011 TPG Web Publishing Ltd MyVillage.com website 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225225542/http://brighton.myvillage.com/place/the-saqqara-closed-brighton 25 February 2012 dead dmy-all A sports bar and nightclub called The Gentleman's Turf then occupied the building, and it was later acquired by the J D Wetherspoon chain, which was granted permission by the city council in July 2010 to convert it into a pub.Wetherspoon opens fourth site in Brighton & Hove Paul Charity http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Property-News/Wetherspoon-opens-fourth-site-in-Brighton-Hove The Publican's Morning Advertiser William Reed Business Media Ltd 20 December 2010 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120509213515/http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Property-News/Wetherspoon-opens-fourth-site-in-Brighton-Hove 9 May 2012 live dmy Brighton gets a new JD Wetherspoon pub Neil Vowles http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8259107.Brighton_gets_a_new_JD_Wetherspoon_pub/ The Argus Newsquest Media Group 8 July 2010 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225225547/http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/8259107.Brighton_gets_a_new_JD_Wetherspoon_pub/ 25 February 2012 live dmy The Post & Telegraph opened on 21 December 2010. It is a short distance from the group's Bright Helm pub, and as of is one of four Wetherspoon outlets in the city of Brighton and Hove.http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-post-telegraph The Post & Telegraph J D Wetherspoon plc 2009–2013 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130103015706/http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-post-telegraph 3 January 2013 live dmy Heritage Under the name National Westminster Bank, 155–158 North Street was listed at Grade II by English Heritage on 23 June 1994.1380621 National Westminster Bank, Nos. 155–158 (Consecutive) North Street (North side), The City of Brighton and Hove II 8 February 2013 This status is given to "nationally important buildings of special interest".http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/listing/listed-buildings/ Listed Buildings 2012 English Heritage 24 January 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130126151823/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/listing/listed-buildings 26 January 2013 dead dmy As of February 2001, it was one of 1,124 Grade II-listed buildings and structures, and 1,218 listed buildings of all grades, in the city of Brighton and Hove.Images of England – Statistics by County (East Sussex) http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/StatisticsPage/default.aspx?StatsCounty=EAST%20SUSSEX Images of England English Heritage 2007 27 December 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121023073747/http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/StatisticsPage/default.aspx?StatsCounty=EAST%20SUSSEX 23 October 2012 dead dmy The building is within the North Laine Conservation Area,http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1001696 Conservation Areas street directory – N 2012 Brighton & Hove City Council 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120901052609/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1001696 1 September 2012 dead dmy one of 34 conservation areas in the city of Brighton and Hove.Conservation Areas in Brighton & Hove http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1103241 20 January 2013 Brighton & Hove City Council (Design & Conservation Department) 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20120830161424/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1103241 30 August 2012 dead dmy This was designated by Brighton Council in 1977 and covers 41.37 acre ha.http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1175568 North Laine Conservation Area 2012 Brighton & Hove City Council 8 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20120902165332/http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1175568 2 September 2012 live dmy Architecture The stone-built structure is in the Louis XVI style, a derivative of Neoclassical architecture. Elements of the Edwardian Baroque style, which Clayton & Black used in their 1904 commission at 163 North Street, have also been identified. The building has been said to stand "glowering ... across the entrance to Bond Street" at T.B. Whinney's Edwardian/Italianate Midland Bank branch of 1902. The two-storey building has six windows facing North Street, a chamfered corner entrance bay and three windows to each floor facing Bond Street. There are dormer windows set into the slate-tiled mansard roof. There are three entrances: two subsidiary doorways in the outermost bays, and an elaborate arrangement in the corner bay consisting of straight-headed double doors decorated with zodiac-themed reliefs, set in an architrave with a cornice supported on corbels, below which is an escutcheon with a bas-relief coat of arms. Above the cornice and its entablature is a lavishly decorated Diocletian window surrounded by carved swags with a female face forming the centrepiece on top of the keystone. The whole of the ground floor is rusticated, including the concave, heavily recessed window surrounds in which tall round-arched windows are set. These windows have intricately carved keystones. A wide entablature forms separates the ground and first floors; above it, the windows are straight-headed and set below architraves with decorative keystones. Between each window is a slightly projecting panel. At the top of the building, a parapet runs around the whole building in front of the roof; it has balustraded sections in front of each dormer window. The dormers have distinctive architraves. See also Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: N–O Notes References 2 Bibliography Antram Nicholas Morrice Richard Brighton and Hove Pevsner Architectural Guides Yale University Press London 2008 978-0-300-12661-7 Brighton Polytechnic. School of Architecture and Interior Design A Guide to the Buildings of Brighton 1987 McMillan Martin Macclesfield 1-869865-03-0 Collis Rose (based on the original by Tim Carder) The New Encyclopaedia of Brighton 1st 2010 Brighton & Hove Libraries Brighton 978-0-9564664-0-2 Category:Office buildings completed in 1923 Category:Neoclassical architecture in England Category:Clayton & Black buildings Category:Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove Category:Grade II listed banks Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1923 Category:NatWest Group