Description

TORQUAY

SX9164 UNION STREET
885-1/14/288 (North East side)
Electric House

GV II

Electricity showrooms and office. 1935, drawings signed W
Marsden, with a reference to PW Ladmore, Borough engineer and
architects' offices. Sheradised metal windows by Percy Hope
and Sons; electrically operated sunblinds and patent
non-reflecting windows by Pollards. Building now used as
Borough Council offices. Portland ashlar brought to course
with polished granite plinth and dressings; roof concealed
behind parapet; some original rainwater goods.
PLAN: Sited in the corner between the hall of the twon hall
complex and the rear of the former Carnegie public library.
Ground floor contained showroom, now converted to offices.
Separate entrance to left with stairs rising round a lift
shaft to 2 upper storeys of offices. Art Deco style, designed
to show off electricity.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys. Asymmetrical 1:3-window front to Union
Street; the one-window section to the office entrance block
which has a higher roof and sunk-moulded parapet with a
cornice. The 3-window showroom block has a plain parapet with
moulded cornice. Deep bronze-coloured projecting fascia above
first floor with moulded bands, decorated with wavy lines.
Showroom entrance has recessed door flanked by large windows
with curved corners towards the entrance. Decorative panel
above is filled with horizontal metal bands with a central
roundel. Plain plate glass windows to either side of the show
window. Above these, recessed panels contain "Electric House"
in Art Deco letters. 3 first-floor recessed metal-frame
windows with reeded panels between. 3 similar second-floor
windows. Entrance block to left projects to the front.
Art Deco granite architrave to office door to left. Original
pair of well-detailed bronze and glass doors, fascia with Art
Deco 'offices' lettering over, deep overlight with pattern of
horizontal and vertical bands; two 2-light casements above.
Electric clock projects from left-hand bay.
The left return is in the same style 5:5:3 windows, the
windows lighting the stairs diagonally-set. Some original Art
Deco rainwater heads, original service door.
INTERIOR: Many features survive. The office entrance hall is
particularly fine, lined with polished Purbeck, flight of
steps down flanked by semicircular half-columns encased at the
bottom with back-lit frosted glass with applied metal wavy
lines. Details elsewhere include hand rails, radiator grilles,
doors etc
Described in Pevsner as "a progressive period piece".
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Cherry B: Devon: London:
1952-1989: P.858).

Listing NGR: SX9134364324

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26513691

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living