Survey Data
Reg No
50080285
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Technical
Original Use
Brewery
In Use As
Building misc
Date
1930 - 1940
Coordinates
314124, 233887
Date Recorded
25/06/2013
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Attached ten-bay two- and four-storey over raised basement brewhouse, built c.1935, having stepped west elevation with single-bay single-storey addition. M-profile pitched roofs, hipped to west elevations, with concrete parapets and moulded cornices. Steel railings to eaves. Red brick walls laid in English bond with render plinth course. Square-headed window openings with red brick voussoirs, render sills and steel casement windows. Some timber louvered vents to window openings. Square-headed loading bay opening to second storey to front (north) elevation with render surrounds and reveals, having steel roller shutter. Square-headed loading bay opening to ground floor to west elevation having red brick voussoirs, steel roller shutter and steel ladder. Square-headed door opening to front with red brick voussoirs and double-leaf half-glazed timber panelled door, approached by concrete steps with concrete cantilevered canopy above.
Appraisal
The portion of the Guinness Brewery directly south of Saint James's Gate is the earliest part, having been acquired by Arthur Guinness in 1759, and this substantial building is testament to the ongoing development of the site throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to facilitate its expansion and growth. The industrial function of this structure is evident in its form and character, with large loading bays incorporated in the upper and lower levels. The use of red brick creates an element of uniformity with the adjoining older buildings, while it is subtly articulated by the concrete string courses and platbands which add visual and textural interest. The stepped profile to the west places it within a modern, minimalist, geometric context, while the steel casement windows are characteristic of industrial buildings of this era. Due to its form and large scale, this structure makes an imposing impression on the streetscape, and is an important part of the city's industrial heritage.