Exterior Description of the Congregational Church

Architectural Style and Construction History

The Congregational Church is a symmetrical, double-height, free-standing structure executed in the Gothic Revival style. The church was built and remodelled in stages from 1860 to 1952, designed by various architects. The main body of the church features a T-shaped plan with additional three-storey wings flanking the primary façade. Extensive reconstruction occurred from 1932 to 1934, led by architect John Seeds, followed by further renovations around 1952 due to bomb damage sustained during World War Two. As a result, the original church constructed circa 1860 by Raffles Brown is no longer visible.

Roof and Rainwater Goods

The church features a pitched roof of indeterminate material, concealed behind a parapetted gable on the primary elevation. The roof is surmounted by a stepped proportion and a decorative centre-piece. Half-round cast iron and uPVC rainwater goods are mounted on the projecting eaves course.

Walling and Dressings

The walling consists of uncoursed and square-cut ashlar sandstone, with a double projecting base. The central section's dressings are crafted from limestone. Openings are predominantly Tudor-arched, showcasing leaded windows with perpendicular-style tracery; ground floor windows feature cusped heads. The façade is dominated by a stained-glass concentric rose window at the centre, completed in 1952, which is topped with a hood label that terminates in foliated and stepped ends. All doors are replacement panelled timber.

Primary Elevation

The primary elevation faces west and features the main body of the church at the centre, flanked by lower wings on each side that are slightly set back from the main façade. The central portion is highlighted by the large stained-glass rose window. The side windows are vertically separated by pairs of mullions, while decorative panels horizontally divide the window. The corners of the central portion are chamfered with stepped limestone quoins, and the ground floor is separated by a moulded string course. Advancing piers at the outer edges rise to points with cusped panelled inserts. A Tudor-arched doorcase at the centre is framed by outer pilasters, extending to a string course above, featuring spandrels with blind tracery. The arch contains nine cusped-headed lancet windows in the upper section, over a pair of double-leaf doors with Tudor-arched heads and decorative quatrefoils in the spandrels.

Side Wings

The three-storey, gable-fronted side wings to the north and south are symmetrical, executed in a similar style and materials likely dating from the late 19th century. Each wing features two openings wide, with pitched slate roofs and gables that break through the eaves. Half-round cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers are mounted to the projecting eaves course. The walling resembles that of the main façade, but the stone is a darker yellow. Windows consist of paired leaded lancets with pointed-arch mouldings above, enclosing quatrefoils. The windows and doors are flanked by foliated columns or pilasters that support a continuous cornice. Each upper floor features two window openings, while the ground floor includes two pointed-arched openings with squared doors and blind tracery above.

North Elevation

The north elevation, like all remaining elevations, is smooth rendered and painted. It features two large windows on the upper floor, positioned right-of-centre within stepped stone architraves, separated by an offset, full-height buttress. A similar pair of windows is located left-of-centre but comprises only the upper proportion. Below, two smaller corresponding windows on the right side are uPVC inserts with square heads, featuring reconstituted stone sills and plain architraves. The left-of-centre section of the main elevation is abutted by a two-storey flat-roofed block (North transept), which contains two pointed-arched windows, smaller than those on the main elevation, above tripartite plain glass squared windows below. The ground floor is abutted by a mono-pitched extension with rendered walls and a corrugated plastic roof. The right cheek features a small flat-roofed porch with replacement multi-panelled square-headed doors on both the first and ground floors, topped with a plain glass pointed-arched transom. The left cheek is abutted by a rear extension. The far-right section is abutted by a side wing, which contains two pairs of staggered, vertically aligned windows above a pointed-arched passageway to the right. The windows above consist of pairs of squared metal casements with a common projecting sill, while the left-side windows feature pairs of cusped lancets framed by flat-arched stone architraves with hood moulds above. The main elevation appears blank due to the adjacent building on the right cheek.

East (Rear) Elevation

The east elevation is largely obstructed by neighbouring buildings. The main elevation is blank and adjoined by a pitched, lower chancel that typically features uPVC squared window openings at each level (metal framed on the ground floor). The right side is abutted by a two-storey flat-roofed block extending north, which contains uPVC windows on the left and right cheeks. The ground floor of the left cheek is adjoined to a neighbouring building, with mono-pitched metal-framed glazing spanning the gap.

South Elevation

The south elevation is generally detailed similarly to the north, but the ground floor block on the right side contains a pair of uPVC windows. A similar window is located on the right cheek, while the left cheek features a single door opening.

Setting of the Congregational Church

The Congregational Church directly addresses the main street-line, situated on the eastern side of Donegall Street within the bustling urban environment of Belfast city centre. The compact site is surrounded by multi-storey modern office buildings, which predominantly enclose the area, although a single-storey painted masonry wall exists to the south-east. The outer doors on the main façade lead through rendered passageways into the north/south yards. A concrete and metal dog-leg escape stair connects the north yard to the first-floor doorway in the north elevation. The north and south side wings contribute to the appearance of a terrace along Donegall Street, with the Irish News Building (HB26/50/189) located a short distance to the north.

Key Features

Roof: Slate
Rainwater Goods: Cast-iron and replacement uPVC
Walling: Uncoursed squared ashlar sandstone
Windows: Stained-glass in stone tracery, replacement uPVC, metal casements

9 Adelaide Park

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