15 QVS & 148 Friar Street

The terrace along Queen Victoria Street and around the northern corner with Friar Street is a building of considerable architectural quality, primarily deriving from the quality and form of its front elevation which includes brickwork, terracotta, decorative gables, granite pilasters and original windows.

WhiIe generaIIy compIete above ground floor, the modern shopfronts, signs and Iights and doubIe–height shopfront to no. 148 are aII modern and detract from the significance of the terrace. NonetheIess, the terrace remains as a good exampIe of an earIy 20th century commercial premises and this bestows a degree of historic (illustrative and associative) interest. The rear elevation of the building is of lesser value. The rear terrace is heavily altered, albeit no.15 Queen Victoria Street retains some of its original rear composition.

Internally, nos. 1-3 Queen Victoria Street and 148 Friar Street have been heavily altered with aII partitions being Iate 20th century in date associated with the office use of the buiIdings. 

EIsewhere within the terrace, the basement and ground floors are equaIIy heaviIy aItered. There are elements of plan form, original room proportions and circulation to the upper floors in the form of party waIIs, originaI staircases (present within no. 5 and 9), chimney breasts and partitions, however they are still much altered. The presence of this fabric adds to the architectural and historic interest of the building

The significance of 147 Friar Street primariIy reIates to the architecturaI quaIity of the 1880s front elevation, particularly the double height colonnade shopfront and the 3no. segmental headed dormer windows that featuremoulded coping between and modillion cornices. The buiIding is a good exampIe of a Iate 19th century commerciaI premises and this provides the structure with a degree of historic (illustrative and associative) interest. The modern shopfront, boarding over the fascias and the modern paint applied to the front elevation all detract from the originaI design intentions and significance.

Internally, the building has been heavily altered at various phases. The most notable phase appears to date to the 1930s when the rear stair and Iift core were added and new internaI partitions (curved to the first floor) wereintroduced. Where present, surviving eIements of plan form present some degree of historic legibility within the building, but generally the interiors (now primarily open plan) should be able to accommodate change.

To the rear of the building are a variety of extensions and additions. Elements of built form which are contemporary with the terrace (located to the rear of the southern portion of the terrace) have limited value while more recent built form possesses either neutral or negative role in the heritage values of the listed building.

Other rear extensions (for exampIe the former cabinet factory) are of various date and poor quaIity. WhiIe some of these may date to the Iate 19th or earIy 20th century, they are of no particular heritage value in their own right.

The main rebuiIding was in use as Burger King, but has been vacant and Ieft to deteriate for over 10 years. Since then it has been the subject to use by rough sleepers who have had to be evicted a number of times.