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Northern Bank
This magnificent building at the beginning of Waring Street can loosely claim to be Belfast’s earliest public building. It was inspired by Charles Barry’s London club houses from the 1830s. Reflecting an Italianate style it was designed by Charles Lanyon and eventually came to life in 1845 as The Northern Bank of Ireland. At that time Irish bankruptcies were common which did little to inspire customers to flock to Irish banks. The Board of Directors therefore took the unusual step to commission a truly impressive façade to inspire investors' confidence. On completion Brett praised ‘the Northern Bank as one of the first and finest examples of the Renaissance Revival in Ireland,’ however he had less than positive reviews of the roof's lantern saying of it that it was “faintly ridiculous”. It’s further characterized by, ‘big eaves cornice, aedicule window surrounds with pediments and attached columns, and bold quoins at the corners.’
From its central location in town the building inherited a prestigious status under its colloquial name as the ‘Four Corners’ where all milestones out of Belfast were once measured.
Presently, this former Northern Bank building became a city centre location for The Emer Gallery in late 2008. There’s a large retrospective work of the Armagh artist J. B. Valley but only until early 2009. Although a temporary exhibition it also highlights the suitability of the building as a gallery space at least on the lower floor and first floor including the balconies.
Strictly speaking though, this structure was merely remodeled in stucco of the old Exchange building that was located on this site since 1769 when a market would have been held here. That particular building was only a single storey market house later converted to Assembly Rooms in 1776 furthermore, with an additional floor by the architect Robert Taylor. As a little reminder to this era a plaque on the external side of the building recalls to mind when the Harp Festival of 1792 was held in the Assembly Rooms on the upper floor.
Lanyon then remodeled the five-bay building but permitted Taylor’s classical interior to remain untouched. Unfortunately, when W.H. Lynn remodeled the building in 1895 the fine coffered vaulted and pilastered treatment would not be part of the plans and so were scrapped. This means that vestiges from the Old Exchange and Assembly Rooms from the 1700s also no longer exist.
In 1875 and 1956 extensions to the building were added under Lynn and G.P & R.H Bell respectively. Another extension by Tulloch and Fitzsimons in 1919 added a ‘two story link block with coloured porch’ on the Donegall Street side while the roof and chimneys were raised with a lantern added on top.
As a last proof of the historical significance of this building the Assembly Rooms were pressed into service as courtrooms for the trial of the rebel leader Henry Joy McCracken shortly after the 1798 rebellion. He was subsequently hanged by public execution in Corn Market.
References
Paul Larmour, Belfast. An illustrated architectural guide, Belfast 1987, p14.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Quarter,_Belfast
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/lanyon/4.html
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