Description
John Burnet, 1874-8, 3-storey and basement office building,
raised by J J Burnet 1907-8, by 2 storeys and an attic.
Sculpture by Young. Cream ashlar sandstone; base course,
channelled and vermiculated bands alternating at ground and
on quoins; ground floor cornice, guilloche cill course at 2nd
floor and mutule cornice with grouped brackets to original
eaves above 2nd floor; Burnet Son's additional storeys with
Giant attached columns on panelled dies and further mutule
cornice on paired brackets; urn finials above.
GEORGE SQUARE ELEVATION: 8-bay; broken and open cartouched
segmental pediment over Ionic doorpiece with moulded fanlight
in 2nd bay from left. Round-arched windows with masqued
keystones in ground, raised basement openings and decorative
railings. Architraved windows at 1st and 2nd floor, those at
1st with consoled, segmental shell pediments and balustraded
balconies. Bold keystones to 3rd floor architraved windows;
outer left bay broken segmental pediment over 4th floor.
CORNER BAYS: symmetrical, with ground floor windows detailed
as above and bowed 1st floor oriel supported by flying
caryatids, with Ionic mullions and blind balconies; fish-scale
carving to stone cupolas; tripartite 2nd floor windows,
bipartite 3rd floor and balconied 4th floor windows; single
light window under broad segmental pediment breaking eaves;
above, plinth supports drum tower with domed roof and gilded
sphere and ship finial.
WEST GEORGE STREET ELEVATION: 5 symmetrical bays more elaborate
at 1st floor. Tripartite doorway at centre with Ionic columns; round-arched bipartites flanking with masqued keystones; 3 1st
floor bipartites to centre bays with broken and open segmental
consoled pediments, with cartouches and symbolic figures.
Outer bays with bowed oriels detailed as above (left being
corner bay); bipartites to centre 3 bays at 2nd floor,
tripartites in outer bays. Giant attached columns to J J
Burnet upper storeys, and outer bays breaking eaves in
segmental panels with balconies at 4th floor.
ANCHOR LANE ELEVATION: 2 ashlar bays detailed similarly to
George Street elevation, to left, without the attached columns
of later storeys. Simpler ashlar bays to right.
Plate glass sash and case windows; slate mansard with timber
dormer windows.
INTERIOR: marble lined staircases to E and N; stained glass
stair window by W and J J Kier, 1877-8, and panel in W door,
circa 1913; open timber roof by J J Burnet in Hall, circa
1913-14. Some furnishings imported from former Merchants'
Hall in the Bridgegate and later Hall in the County Buildings,
Wilson Street.