My favourite building: 41 Spring Gardens
Phil Westwood, director at interior design and fit-out company Claremont Group Interiors, shares his love of The Waterhouse, 41 Spring Gardens in Manchester.
What’s your favourite building?
The Waterhouse, 41 Spring Gardens in Manchester
When was it built?
Grade II-listed 41 Spring Gardens was completed in 1890 and is one of a number of Manchester buildings – including the neo-gothic Grade I-listed Manchester Town Hall and Manchester University – designed by renowned architect Alfred Waterhouse.
More recently in 2011, the building underwent redevelopment and saw the upper floors and ground floor entrance foyer stripped back to its shell, before being remodelled and refurbished to create 17,000 sq ft of Grade A office space.
What was its original function?
The King Street area was once the centre of the North West banking industry and as such an affluent and important part of the city – particularly in the late 1800s. 41 Spring Gardens was built for the National Provincial Bank in 1888 and neighboured several other high-profile banking and insurance institutions, as well as the original town hall.
More recent occupiers have included Weightmans, who moved out shortly before the 2011 refurbishment by owners Associated Property Owners.
What is the style of architecture?
Not one of Waterhouse’s most obvious creations in Manchester. Alfred spent much of his youth travelling round France, Germany and Italy and it’s been suggested there’s some German influences in the architecture of this particular building.
It’s the scrolled pediments above the windows, the pillasters and the use of gables that hint at its German influences. Interestingly, it doesn’t follow the style that you would more typically associate with Waterhouse – there’s no distinctive use of stone and a lack of gothic features.
Both are things which have come to embody his style in the city, particularly with Manchester Town Hall.
What do you like about it? How is it used?
Our business provided the interior design and fit-out so for me, it’s the combination of great Victorian design with a 21st century interior that makes this such an interesting building. Plus we were a tenant for a time so I was able to enjoy the building on a daily basis, too.
The building has stayed true to its original purpose and will provide high quality office accommodation for many more years to come – that’s something that I’m sure Alfred Waterhouse would have been proud of. It’s one of those buildings that is integral to the fabric of the city, yet is easily missed.
Unlike the Town Hall which has real presence and the room to stand back and admire its grandeur, there is a comparable modesty to Waterhouse’s 41 Spring Gardens and it’s that which I celebrate most.
