Building record 15778 - Tower Garage, Alderley Edge

<1> English Heritage/DCMS, Various, Notification of inclusion, amendment or removal from the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Saxton H 6/6/2012 Ref: 467474 (Written Communication). SCH4885.

Berkeley Moir's design for Tower Garage is representative of the influence of the United States and its popular culture on England in the mid twentieth century. Although Moir wanted to create 'something different' in his design, Tower Garage's dynamic form is reminiscent of the mid twentieth century Modernist architecture of Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California and particularly, the space-age buildings of John Lautner, such as Malin House/'Chemosphere' (1960) in Palm Springs. Like these buildings, the disc-like form of Tower Garage reflects the period's ongoing exploration of space and embodies the technological bravura and spirit of the space age. As such, it is resolutely of its time. The building also shares a similar design philosophy with a number of surviving 1950s and 60s Modernist gas stations and garages in the US, including the Union 76 station, Beverly Hills, California by William Pereira (1965), which has a curved roof originally intended to form part of LAX airport; Orbit gas station, Sacramento, California; and the former Tramway gas station, Palm Springs, California by Albert Frey and Robson C Chambers (1965). Like these eye-catching buildings, Tower Garage's design reflects the modernity of motoring and the motor car in the mid twentieth century, and the sense of adventure, freedom and independence that the car symbolised at this time; an apt design in a village that had first developed on the back of the railways and then the motor car.

Although Berkeley Moir is not a nationally recognised figure, his skill as an architect is clearly evident in the ambitious rotunda design of Tower Garage, which cleverly produces a practical, yet highly distinctive form designed to fit its site and maximise the building's presence. Its striking canopy roof structure is technically innovative and is illustrative of the use of exciting roof shapes by some architects at this time; two of the best examples being Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal, John F Kennedy International Airport, New York (1956-62) and Dulles Airport, Chantilly, Virginia (1958-63). The canopy not only provides a strong architectural and aesthetic statement but would also have originally protected motorists from the elements when they filled up their cars, a fundamental practicality. An indication of the overall rarity of inventive and pioneering designs such as these in the early 1960s is highlighted by the fact that the construction of Tower Garage was featured in both the motor trade press and one of the principal weekly consumer motoring journals, The Autocar.

The majority of petrol stations and showrooms from this period have either been lost or extensively altered, and as a result, Tower Garage has few comparators. However, similarities of design quality and stylistic innovation can be drawn with Sam Scorer's Lincolnshire Motor Company Showrooms, Lincoln (1958-9, Grade II), which has a striking reinforced concrete, hyperbolic paraboloid shell roof and, like Tower Garage, has also been converted for restaurant use. Notwithstanding the alterations that have taken place as a result of the building's change of use, Tower Garage's unusual and dynamic form remains intact. Key features, including the original timber window frames, cladding and doors have been retained and are rare, early 1960s survivals. Four of the original circular skylights also survive, which like the exterior design have a strong stylistic quality as well as functionality, mirroring the shape of the rotunda and bringing additional light into the interior. The loss of the original neon strip lighting underneath the canopy and the loss of the original interior divisions and sales kiosk is unfortunate, but their removal does not compromise the building's overall special interest.

With a dramatic space-age design that survives relatively little altered, and as a rare survival of its type nationally, Tower Garage successfully fulfils the national criteria for listing. Consequently, it is recommended for inclusion on the statutory list at Grade II. However, although the main rotunda structure is considered to possess special interest, the former lubrication bay, which abuts the canopy and does not share the same strong level of design and styling, is not considered to possess the same level of interest and is therefore excluded from the listing.

<2> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 1404737 (Web Site). SCH6528.

List entry Description : Summary of Building
Former petrol station, offices and car showroom, 1962, by Berkeley Moir, reinforced concrete and timber, single-storey, Mid-century Modernist style, now a New York-style Deli

Reasons for Designation
Tower Garage is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural quality: a highly distinctive rotunda design with a striking, saucer-shaped canopy roof structure that provides a strong architectural and aesthetic statement, as well as practicality, and is illustrative of the use of exciting roof shapes in this period

* Apposite modern design: its space-age inspired design reflects the influence of America and its popular culture during the 1950s and 60s, embodying the technological bravura and spirit of the space age. In a wider context it also reflects the modernity of motoring and the motor car in the mid twentieth century, and the sense of adventure, freedom and independence that the car symbolised at this time

* Rarity of building type: a rare surviving example of an architect-designed petrol station and motor car showroom of the early 1960s

* Degree of survival: the dynamic form remains intact despite some later alteration and key features, including the saucer-shaped canopy, original timber window frames, cladding and doors, and four original circular skylights mirroring the shape of the rotunda, all survive

History
Tower Garage was constructed in 1962 to the designs of Berkeley Moir, a Rochdale architect who along with his wife, Winifred formed the partnership of Moir & Bateman. The garage was originally built as a Total filling station, offices and car showroom and replaced an earlier garage built in 1919. The building was commissioned by the Total Oil Company in collaboration with the owner, Paul Higham, as a showpiece to market their petrol and oil in the UK.

The garage's petrol pumps were originally an attendant-only service, but this was quickly superseded by self-service pumps. It has been suggested that the building's design was possibly influenced by a building in the owner's home country of Iran, although this has not been confirmed. In an interview with the Rochdale Observer in 2005, Mr Moir said that with regard to the building's design he had no goal in mind "apart from creating something different".

The petrol station ceased use c1978 and the petrol pumps were subsequently removed. The building remained in use as a car showroom and offices until 2011 when it was converted into a New York-style deli.

Details
PLAN: The building is set back from the roadside on a large forecourt and has a circular plan formed of a central rotunda with a saucer-shaped canopy above.

EXTERIOR: Tower Garage consists of a reinforced concrete rotunda incorporating large glazed panels set within timber frames with timber cladding above and below. All the timberwork is painted black. The rotunda incorporates a projection to the west side with a central doorway. Further entrances with large, concertina-style, glazed timber doors exist to the north-east and south-east corners, which originally allowed cars to be moved in and out of the showroom. The glazing to the west projection was originally convex, but this has since been replaced by flat panes. Above the rotunda, and forming its roof, is a massive, saucer-shaped, reinforced concrete canopy that extends upwards and outwards and is supported by a series of painted reinforced concrete columns within the rotunda interior, but is cantilevered externally. Six petrol pumps were originally arranged around the building underneath the canopy to shelter motorists, but these were removed in the late 1970s. A series of strip lights that were originally located to the underside of the canopy have also been removed. Above the canopy and hidden from view is a secondary, early twenty first century, pitched roof constructed of felt and wooden battens that has been added to prevent leaks.

INTERIOR: Originally the rotunda was subdivided internally by partition walls, with sales and administrative offices located at the front of the building and a showroom to the rear. The internal walls and original teak and mahogany sales kiosk have all been removed, along with toilets, and a later inserted suspended ceiling. The original linoleum floor has been replaced by a terrazzo floor and a modern, circular deli counter has been installed to the centre of the rotunda. The ceiling incorporates a series of four, original circular skylights to the western side; it is believed that originally there were approximately eight skylights and that some have since been blocked-up.

<3> Holt H, 1962, North of the Trent, 27/06/1962 (Article in Journal). SCH9356.

<4> Various, 1856-2023, The Rochdale Observer, 23/09/2005, Berkeley is going back to the future (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH9357.

<5> Holt H, 1962, Total Progress in the North (Article in Journal). SCH9358.

<6> Calladine T & Morrison K, 1998, Road Transport Buildings. A Report by RCHME for the English Heritage Post-1939 Listing Programme. (Report). SCH9359.

<7> Fraser M & Kerr J, 2007, Architecture and the 'Special Relationship'. The American Influence on Post-War British Architecture (Book). SCH9360.

<8> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Land Line and Master Map Vector Maps, 21/02/2023 (Maps and Plans). SCH4491.