My Favourite Building: London Road fire station

MARK Burgess of Manchester-based property management firm Capital Properties explains his affection for the London Road fire station.

What’s your favourite building?
My favourite building is the old Fire Station on London Road.

When was it built?
The building was completed in 1906, and was designed by Woodhouse, Willoughby and Langham. It achieved Grade II listed status in 1974, but was sadly classed as an ‘At Risk’ building in 1998.

What was its original function?
It was initially a combined fire station, ambulance service, bank and coroner’s court, and was used as a training centre after the war. After 80 years of providing public services it became too expensive to sustain as a fire station and has unfortunately since declined.

The use of the building has been a controversial issue over the last 20 years but many, including myself, still hold the hope that it has another life left in it, and it can continue to function as one of the city’s great practical landmarks.

What is the style of the architecture?
It’s built in the 20th century red brick style recognised the world over as Manchester’s trademark, but incorporates murals and statues that hint towards a more ancient style of architecture. It’s very traditional in the sense that it reflects the look of Manchester that emerged during the industrial revolution, and while many of the city’s former warehouses and factories have been renovated to function as cool and fashionable office space or flats, the fire station was always intended to be a grand spectacle.

It has won awards for its design in the past, and although its looks have faded, it is still impressive in contrast with the modern buildings that surround it. I think the monuments for ‘Justice’, ‘Courage’, ‘Strength’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’ seal the building’s position as a historical property in a legendary city.

What do you like about it? How is it used?
For me, it just couldn’t be a greater embodiment of Manchester: the classic orange and red brick, the hard work and the public services that it has been home to, and its location as the first sight visitors see when they step out of Piccadilly Station into the city centre.

That said, what I really like is its potential – what keeps Britain’s historic buildings exciting to me is their ability to evolve and take on a new persona. With Capital Properties, what constantly drives us is the prospect of bringing new life to spaces and building desirable destinations. For this reason the fire station always fascinates me, as after assuming a number of different forms in its lifetime, I still feel like it holds a number of new possibilities.

* The old fire station has been owned by Hale-based Britannia Hotels since the 1980s but it has not been developed and was the subject of a failed compulsory purchase bid by Manchester City Council in 2011. Last year the council renewed Britannia’s planning consent for a 227-bed hotel that was first granted in 2010.