A striking 1930s Salford home has been listed as a Grade II building, in recognition of its rare Streamlined Moderne design and connection to a renowned architect.
Number 26 Old Hall Road in Broughton has been added to the National Heritage List for England at Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England. The listing recognises the special architectural interest of the building.
Built in 1935, the house in Broughton is a striking example of the international Streamlined Moderne style.
Inside, a sweeping staircase leads to a balconied landing and gallery, and much of the interior looks as it did in 1935.
The house is thought to be the work of Joseph Sunlight, the influential Manchester architect and developer behind the city’s Art Deco skyscraper, Sunlight House.
The house’s interior features wide, arched sliding doors which open from the hall into the dining room and lounge, allowing the main rooms to be combined into a single space. This keeps it in line with the free-flowing planning associated with modern movement.
The house’s interior has a wealth of original decorative features, including lavish wall panelling, covered ceilings, parquet and inlaid veneer floors, and coloured geometric glazing.
A service bell board and bell pushes located in the butler’s pantry are reminders of a domestic life which once summoned staff to different parts of the house.
Although the architect of 26 Old Hall Road is not formally documented, its design quality and Joseph Sunlight’s dominant local presence make him the most likely candidate.
His family emigrated to England from Belorussia and he designed hundreds of houses in the nearby Sedgley Park estate.
Sunlight also designed the South Manchester synagogue in Fallowfield (1913) and the Art Deco office block Sunlight House in Manchester City Centre (1932).
Tom Frater, regional director of North Historic England, said: “26 Old Hall Road is a rare and glamorous survival of the Streamlined Moderne style in a suburban setting that has changed remarkably little since the 1930s.”
