Refuge Assurance Building
Encyclopedia
The Refuge Assurance Building, now the Palace Hotel or Refuge Building, stands at the corner of Oxford Street
and Whitworth Street
in Manchester
, England.
The first phase of this Grade II* listed red brick and terracotta
building was designed for the Refuge Assurance Company by Alfred Waterhouse
and built 1891–1895. The inside was of Burmantofts faience
and glazed brick. The ground floor was one enormous open business hall.
It was extended, with a striking 217 feet (66.1 m) tower, along Oxford Street by his son Paul Waterhouse
in 1910–1912. It was further extended along Whitworth Street by Stanley Birkett in 1932.
The Refuge Assurance Company occupied the building until 1987. Although, the Refuge Assurance company had discussed turning the building into a new home for The Hallé
, the funding required for the project did not materialise. It was converted to a hotel by Richard Newman in 1996, and is now the Palace Hotel, owned and operated by the Principal Hayley Group
.
Some scenes in the 1960 film Hell Is a City
were shot on the roof.
Wilmslow Road, Manchester
Wilmslow Road is a major thoroughfare in Manchester, England, running from Parrs Wood north into Manchester City Centre. Its name changes to Oxford Road at Whitworth Park, north of Rusholme, and changes again to Oxford Street, when it reaches the city centre.The road runs through the centres of...
and Whitworth Street
Whitworth Street
Whitworth Street is a street in Manchester, England. It runs between London Road and Oxford Street . West of Oxford Street it becomes Whitworth Street West which then goes as far as Deansgate . It was opened in 1899 and is lined with many large and grand warehouses. It is named after the engineer...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England.
The first phase of this Grade II* listed red brick and terracotta
Architectural terracotta
Terracotta, in its unglazed form, became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s, and in the United States in the 1870s. It was generally used to supplement brick and tiles of similar colour in late Victorian buildings.It had been used before this in...
building was designed for the Refuge Assurance Company by Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
and built 1891–1895. The inside was of Burmantofts faience
Burmantofts Pottery
Burmantofts Pottery was the common trading name of a manufacturer of ceramic pipes and construction materials, named after the Burmantofts district of Leeds, England....
and glazed brick. The ground floor was one enormous open business hall.
It was extended, with a striking 217 feet (66.1 m) tower, along Oxford Street by his son Paul Waterhouse
Paul Waterhouse
Paul Waterhouse, , was a British architect.He was son and business partner of Alfred Waterhouse and father of Michael Waterhouse, who were all architects who designed buildings in England...
in 1910–1912. It was further extended along Whitworth Street by Stanley Birkett in 1932.
The Refuge Assurance Company occupied the building until 1987. Although, the Refuge Assurance company had discussed turning the building into a new home for The Hallé
The Hallé
The Hallé is a symphony orchestra based in Manchester, England. It is the UK's oldest extant symphony orchestra , supports a choir, youth choir and a youth orchestra, and releases its recordings on its own record label, though it has occasionally released recordings on Angel Records and EMI...
, the funding required for the project did not materialise. It was converted to a hotel by Richard Newman in 1996, and is now the Palace Hotel, owned and operated by the Principal Hayley Group
Principal Hayley Group
Principal Hayley Group is a Harrogate, North Yorkshire based hotel and conference venue operator.Formed from a management buyout of a basic 6 hotel group in 2006, backed by Private Equity firm Permira, the company presently operates 25 locations, mainly in the UK...
.
Some scenes in the 1960 film Hell Is a City
Hell Is a City
Hell Is a City is a 1960 film based on the novel by Maurice Procter. It was made by British studio Hammer Film Productions filmed in Manchester it was also written and directed by Val Guest...
were shot on the roof.