Old Colony House, South King Street and Ridgefield

The building takes its name from the Old Colony Club, of which it is to be the headquarters for the north of England. This is a business organisation unique in any country, insomuch as only principals and directors of large concerns are accepted as members, and for these it provides a full commercial service, as well as highly organised club facilities.  A site in the centre of the city was naturally essential for the premises of a purely business-man's club, and Old Colony House, within a stone's throw of the Royal Exchange and almost midway between Victoria, Exchange, Central and London Road railway stations, was in general consent considered quite ideal. In pursuance of the Old Colony Club's policy of having its club rooms well above the street level, where the noise of traffic is dulled, light is better, and dust is avoided, the fourth and fifth floors have been reserved for them.  The apportionment of the remaining floors of the structure is as follows: the ground floor is being fitted out as shop premises, the first floor has been taken by the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation and the other floors are laid out as private offices.

The building, of the usual steel-frame fireproof construction, is in Portland stone and its appearance is decidedly pleasing. Its rigid geometric lines and entire lack of ornamental excrescences give an effect of quiet dignity eminently suited to a building designed for commercial purposes, whilst the somewhat unusual height of the ground floor shop premises, whose fronts will be carried out very artistically in bronze, enhances this effect by its suggestion of stability and solid balance. The floors throughout the building, as well as the roof, are caried out in hollow concrete, whilst at the extreme top is an asphalt flat roof. The aim of the architect in his design has been first and foremost to obtain the maximum amount of light possible in the offices -  the club premises have, of course, an unrestricted view - and in this an admirable success has been achieved.

The standard of the interior design and equipment of the Old Colony House is set out in the beautiful entrance hall, carried out in beautiful figured quartered marble panels with marble flooring, and a rich barrel ceiling in fibrous plaster. Two passenger lifts, with mahogany cars are provided, one of them being reserved solely for the members of the club. The main staircase, starting at the extreme end of the entrance hall, achieves an unusual effect by the contrast of its terrazzo steps with its wall lining of a special joint-less composition in a different colour.  The flooring throughout the building is in "Granwood" blocks, a composition exactly similar in appearance to wood blocks without any of wood's disadvantages. The various offices on the first three floors are constructed with oak woodwork, and their equipment has been carried out by one of the best-known firms in the trade. All the windows in the building are steel casement.

THE CLUB PREMISES - The fourth floor is the main floor of the club. The lifts open in a special entrance hall, on one side of which is a cloakroom. The lounge directly faces the entrance hall; it is separated by a passage from the bath rooms, dressing rooms and toilet offices on the opposite side; whilst at the end of the passage are the first conference room, the commercial, travel and service bureaux, and two roomy telephone cabinets - the club incidentally has its own telephone exchange. The lounge is a brightly-decorated hall of some 1,800 square feet floor space, furnished comfortably in oak. An ample refreshment buffet is provided.  The fifth floor consists of the dining room, similar in size to the lounge and seating some 120 people at small tables; the necessary service departments and two conference rooms, which can also be used as private dining rooms. The kitchens are immediately overhead, and thus the odours of cooking are completely avoided. The entire building is centrally heated and electrically lighted on the most modern system, so that no element of comfort will be lacking in the shops, offices or club premises. [Manchester City News  24 November 1928 Page 8 Col 5]

Reference     Manchester City News  24 November 1928 Page 8 Col 5
Reference     Manchester Guardian 18, 21 and 22 December 1923 page 2 - To let.