University House, University of East London (West Ham Precinct)

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 08/03/2013


TQ 3984
6/7


ROMFORD ROAD (North side)
WEST HAM E15
University House, University of East London (West Ham Precinct)


(Formerly listed as West Ham College of Technology, Central Library and Museum)


(Formerly listed as West Ham Precinct of the North-East London Polytechnic)


II*


Former combined College, library and museum building 1895-98 by J G S Gibson and S B Russell. Sculpture by W Binnie Rhind. Ambitious and distinguished group of buildings in Free Classical style with distinctive Art Nouveau emphasis. Red brick and Portland stone with steep slated pitched roof. College comprises principal range to Romford Road. Nine bays wide, 2 storeys. Segmental window openings to ground floor with rusticated stone architraves and keystones. Round arched entrance with large semi-circular head supported by enriched consoles and female kneeling figures. Deep delicately carved frieze between storeys. Order of engaged columns rise through first floor to support enriched entablature to eaves cornice. Elaborate lead gutter above. Upper part of each bay divided by smaller order of engaged columns to form windows with leaded lights. Square battered brick terminal towers stand proud of the principal range with shallow domed stone heads and a single semicircular pedimented niche to each face housing carved figure. End gables crowned by concave sided pavilion roofs with stone and ironwork balustrades surmounted by cupolas with Art Nouveau finials and buttresses. To either side a 2-storey 3-bay pavilion with stone rustications and a semicircular open pediment topped by an obelisk and containing finely carved figures. Library and Museum in similar eclectic style. Museum to right of and set forward from main college facade. Broken semicircular open pediments to west and south. Central entrance with bronze relief sculpture inset above. Crowned by cupola. Library faces Water Lane with three semicircular pediments and shallow domed tower over entrance to left. Interiors of library and museums survive complete. Of particular note in the library is the main space with its decorative barrel roof and fine coloured plaster reliefs to east and west. Glass screens and bookshelves also survive. Museum contains fine galleried and domed top lit central space. Interior of College not seen. Wrought iron railings in Art Nouveau style linking brick and stone piers, surround the buildings.

Formerly known as West Ham Precinct of the North-East London Polytechnic and West Ham College of Technology, Central Library and Museum.

Listing NGR: TQ3946184629

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

204954

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.