Description

997/0/10421 MOSELEY
08-MAY-03 Pitmaston

II
Company Headquarters. 1930-31. Holland W. Hobbiss (1880-1970) for the Ideal Benefit Society. Brick with pantile hipped roofs. Wooden sash windows. Stone entrance porch, architraves to pair of secondary doors, and balustrade to angled towers. T-shaped plan in a restrained symmetrical Neo-Classical style.
ELEVATIONS: 5-part facade with advanced central entrance block, wide flanking wings of 3 bays, and crosswings to ends, all with continuous projecting eaves with mutule. ENTRANCE block taller and in 3 bays. Curved central bay with advanced stone Doric porch with 'IDEAL BENEFIT SOCIETY' above 'FOUNDED MCCMXCII' inscribed to frieze, paired doors with 4 horizontal fluted panels with overlight, under first floor tripartite bow with paned sashes framed by flat stone cornice and 4 fluted pilasters with abstract ionic capitals. Attic storey has wide semi-circular window in brick surround, all under taller roof with stone coping. Recessed bay to each side, both with stone date plaque and 12-over-12 pane sash to ground floor; first floor 16-over-16 pane sash and stone balcony on fluted brackets with decorative iron balustrade; oculus window to attic floor. Above first floor, cornice with mutule and short hipped pantile roof; above attic, similar cornice with a full hipped roof. WINGS with 3 bays of sash windows in wide rounded arches below 12-over-12 pane sashes. Re-entrant corner towers with stone steps to panelled door in fluted stone doorcase with pediment, 4-over-4 pane sash, and brick parapet with stone balustrade. Advanced CROSSWINGS have three 12-over-12 pane sashes below central first floor pair of paned doors opening to balcony on stone corbels with iron balustrade. Return elevations have central advanced bay with oculus below 2-storey windows with fanlight to stair, all under small pedimented roof. To each side, 2 bays with 12-over-12 pane sash to ground floor and first floor. REAR elevation similar to front, with 2 bays of 12-over-12 pane sashes to each floor in crosswing; 4 bays of sash windows in wide rounded arches below 12-over-12 pane sashes to each flanking wing. Advanced REAR WING of 7 bays and 3 storeys plus basement in sloping site; 3rd and 5th bays advanced with hipped roofs; multi-pane sashes to each bay and floor, those to end bay recessed into rounded bay with oculus to attic. Rear elevation has pair of oculi to top corners, central paned doors in stone architrave with segmental pediment and balcony on stone corbels with iron balustrade. Ground floor in deep brick plinth with central door in rounded surround.
INTERIOR: Entrance hall with deep coffered ceiling and rounded-arch marble bays to walls inscribed with company history. T-plan with 4 staircases, each with iron balustrades with foliate detailing. Front corridor is sky-lit, and boardroom has panelling.

Headquarters for the Ideal Benefit Society built 1930-31 by Birmingham architect Holland W Hobbiss in a refined Neo-Classical style.

Reasons for Listing

Headquarters for the Ideal Benefit Society built 1930-31 by Birmingham architect Holland W Hobbiss in a refined and thoughtful Neo-Classical style.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672818

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)