University of Portsmouth, Park Building Portsmouth, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

PORTSMOUTH

SU6300 KING HENRY I STREET, Landport 774-1/8/271 University of Portsmouth, Park 25/09/72 Building & attached railings & balustrade (Formerly Listed as: PARK ROAD Polytechnic Physics Department and Public Library)

II

Polytechnic physics department and public library, now University departments of Physics, Pharmacy and Architecture. 1903-8. By GE Smith. Portland stone. Welsh slated roof, stone stack on left and brick stack at centre on rear pitch. Flemish and Renaissance motifs. PLAN/EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, attic and raised semi-basement. 9 bays facing south and 7 bays to east. The 2 main south and east facades are set at an obtuse angle with main entrance splayed across corner. Each bay is flanked by a pilaster, heavily rusticated to semi-basement and ground floor, Ionic pilasters 2-storeys high to first and second floors, with rusticated lower parts, cornice and parapet. At entrance 22 stone steps approach a 2-leaf glazed and panelled door set behind portico with fan-light under round stone arch with rusticated keystone and spaced voussoirs. Portal opening has similar round arch with flanking paired Doric columns with rusticated lower parts and set on high pedestal, relief sculpture between columns and to spandrel of arch. Internally left and right returns have a round-arched niche. Cornice and sillband to first floor. On first and second floors is a large 2-storey tripartite canted oriel with rusticated quoin strips, stone transom and mullioned casement at centre to each floor with narrow flanking casements. Second floor set under rusticated segmental arch with keystone, cornice and parapet. Square tower at third floor with casement set under round arch, keystone and spaced voussoirs, flanking Ionic pilasters, frieze and pediment; deep dentilled cornice surmounted by stone cupola with splayed corners, each corner having projecting paired Doric columns, entablature and curved pediment. Broad copper dome with ship design wind vane. To left and right of entrance and at far ends of each facade is a half octagonal stairs turret corbelled at ground floor and surmounted by a small octagonal dome with Ionic rusticated columns and entablature. Each turret has a 10-pane casement to

ground and first floors, 8-pane to second floor, each set under flat arch with curved pediment, rusticated jambs. Band cornice and sill to first floor. At centre of south facade and on first floor is an 8-pane metal transomed and mullioned casement each is set under flat stone arch with architrave. To left and to right and on first floor is a tripartite window with centre 6-pane sash with fixed 3-pane casement at head, narrow flanking sashes set under flat stone arch with architrave. Further left and right and over on first floor are 2 paired similar 6-pane sashes, each sash on first floor has pulvinated frieze with cornice, pediment over centre sash and cornice over flanking sashes. Second floor sashes similar to first floor except each is set under a segmental arch with keystone and spaced voussoirs. Each of the 2 bays flanking the centre has a facing gable with curved pediment and scrolls. Attic window is a 12-pane casement set under flat arch with recessed round arch, keystone, flanking Ionic pilasters with rusticated lower part. The right return to east facade is similar but has two 3-storey canted bays and a paired Doric Columned Portal at centre (former Library entrance). INTERIOR: details of the original building are substantially intact. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: On south attached ornate iron railings to semi-basement well and stone balustrade to east. (Balfour A: Portsmouth: London: 1970-: 68, 69; Lloyd DW: Buildings of Portsmouth and its Environs: Portsmouth: 1974-: 106, 107; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Lloyd D: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Harmondsworth: 1967-: 447).

Listing NGR: SU6448001459