COGENT WORKS

COGENT WORKS, 52-54, ST PAULS SQUARE

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1392745
Date first listed:: 29-Apr-2004
List Entry Name:: COGENT WORKS
Statutory Address:: COGENT WORKS, 52-54, ST PAULS SQUARE

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1392745
Date first listed:: 29-Apr-2004
List Entry Name:: COGENT WORKS
Statutory Address 1:: COGENT WORKS, 52-54, ST PAULS SQUARE

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: COGENT WORKS, 52-54, ST PAULS SQUARE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Birmingham (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SP0646287411

Details

BIRMINGHAM

997/0/10357 ST PAULS SQUARE 29-APR-04 52-54 Cogent Works

GV II Offices and restaurant,formerly manufactories with warehousing. c.1902, with late C20 alterations. By G.F. Hawkes, architect, of Birmingham, for E.L.Gyde , converted to commercial use in 1989 by Mark Humphries, architect. MATERIALS: Red brick with painted stone dressings, coped gables, ridge and gable stacks and slate roof coverings. PLAN: Evolved double courtyard plan, the earlier south-eastern yard enclosed on 3 sides, the later yard open to the north-west side. EXTERIOR: Front elevation to St Paul's Square of 2 phases, the 7 bays to the left built slightly earlier than the 5 bays to the right, both phases identically detailed. Symmetrical frontage of 3 storeys rising from a deep blue brick plinth. Facade arranged 2:3:2:3:2, with pediments incorporating occuli to the 3-bay sections. Double doorways to bays 1 and 2 with tall overlights, 6-pane transomed windows to bays 3 and 4 with stepped sills. Passage access to bay 5, tall glazed openings to bays 6 and 7, 6-panel doors to paired openings at bay 8, bays 9, 10 and 11 with late C20 glazed openings. Wide vehicle opening to bay 12 with late C20 barred gates. Between openings, banded brick piers with painted capitals. Moulded cornices to heads of ground and first floor openings, above girder lintels. Transomed window frames to first and second floors. Parallel 8-bay, 3 storey former workshop ranges to rear with multi-paned cast iron window frames below girder lintels, with doorways to upper floors formerly served by external stairs. Angled end bays form latrine towers. 7-bay cross returns from left-hand workshop range at end of yard. Workshop ranges with monopitch roofs. INTERIORS: The interiors have been remodelled to form office, shop and restaurant areas. HISTORY: The phased development of this manufactory, formerly named Cogent Works, started with Nos. 52-54, as shown on the surviving building plans. These indicate that the frontage range and right-hand workshop range incorporated basement levels, the latter partially accommodated below a narrow monopitch roof extending into the courtyard. The basement workshops are designated as machine rooms on the plans. The ground and first floors of the frontage range provided office, warehouse and packing areas, with workshops at the far ends of the rear ranges. The second floor of the frontage range provided further warehouse space, with workshops throughout the rear ranges at this level. The architectural treatment of the principal element appears a conscious effort to respect the C18 character of St Pauls Square. Forms a group with St Pauls Church (q.v.) An extensive, purpose-built complex of manufactories of c.1902 with integral warehousing, and retaining all of the original multi-storey shopping. The complex is a very complete survival of an early C20 manufactory development in an industrial quarter of Birmingham now recognised as being of international significance.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 500101
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Cattell, E, Jones, , The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter: An Architectural Survey of the Manufactories, (2002), 264-5

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.