Amar House, Broad Street and corner of Fryer Street
Thanks to the Amar Group of Companies for
permission to enter and take photos
This landmark building was presumably built in the 1880s
or slightly later as part of the redevelopment of Lichfield Street and
Broad Street. It is known that by 1910
John Shaw and Sons Ltd. occupied this building. It seems
highly likely that they built it.
The entrance to Fryer Street leads to the tiled hall and
stairway which gives access to a very large hall. That hall was
recently used as the Paloma Banqueting Suite but is now leased to Riley
Snooker Halls. It may originally have been a showroom. The
tiles shown are the only interior tiles currently inside the building.
Julie Gillam Wood, who is researching Burmantofts
architectural ceramics, has found that Burmantofts supplied ceramics to
"Shaw's premises Wolverhampton" in about 1890. She says that
the tiles here appear to be by Burmantofts and that the column treatment
is very similar to that produced by Burmantofts for the Refuge Assurance
Company's headquarters in Whitworth Street, Manchester, in 1895.
The architect there was Sir Alfred Waterhouse. The architect of
this building is unknown but, whilst stylistically it is not out of the
question, it seems that this building is too small, too plain and too
provincial for him.
Part of the Broad Street facade, showing terra cotta string courses,
window dressings and aprons.
The main entrance, showing plain and moulded tiles in
shades of brown, yellow, gold, white and blue.
The staircase. The second stage after the half
landing is tiled in the same way and the tiling stops at the first
floor.
Julie Gillam Wood has kindly provided the two photos
below which show a similar treatment of tiled columns. These are
in the Refuge Assurance Company's head office (now the Palace Hotel) in
Whitworth Street, Manchester. This was built in 1895; Alfred
Waterhouse was the architect.
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