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Cupolas

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
I love to see buildings with cupolas - those small structures on top of a building, often dome-shaped. Some were added to provide a lookout, whilst others admit light and air. They usually crown a larger roof or dome.


To me they add extra interest to the building and can be interesting structures in themselves. On my last visit to Brum, I noticed many, many cupolas around Town. But you have to look up to notice them. Here are a few I snapped. Viv.
 

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A cupola on a corner shop in Gravelly Lane/Somerset Road Erdington and above it looks like an ATR72 aircraft climbing out of BHX. The pinnacle of the cupola looks slightly bent. Cupolas are probably difficult to maintain.
The man in the second pic c1911 riding his horse, probably glanced at it but the photographer did not get it in the old pic.
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Love the shape of that one Phil. Looks like it's clad with zinc. The building is very busy in its architecture, almost as though the architect was trying to apply the maximum amount of decorative features, yet the cupola is quite plain by comparison. It crossed my mind that it might be an addition, but maybe not. I like the cupola combined with the windows below it. Strange that the spike is bent, some overfed birds in Erdington perhaps! Viv.[/FONT]
 
Goodness Vivienne you have got me going now.
I must have passed the one in gravelly lanes hundreds of times in my youth and never gave it a thought but
I have now realised just how many there are around and how interesting they are.
Thanks for starting an interesting thread and thank you both for the photos. Alberta
 
A couple of existing pics on the BHF showing pubs with cupolas. The architect certainly 'went overboard' with design of the one on the first pub which appears to have ventilation slats - maybe to get rid of pipe and cigarette smoke. A lot of demolition and rebuilding in that area means the cupolas are not there now.

The Roebuck on the corner of St. Martin's St. and William St. 1965.
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The Kings Arms on the corner of William Street and Bishopgate Street, again in 1964.
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Hi Alberta. There's so much to be seen up above, we miss so much at ground level. Since converting to become an 'upper looker' I've noticed so many lovely details on buildings. So if you pass me in the street I'm the one with eyes aloft - and crashing in to passers by.


Again two nice examples Phil. Thanks. Sone of these seem to complement the building whilst others stand out like a sore thumb. I'm all for blending with the other features. But you can imagine some Victorian men commissioning designs saying "this building needs a statement, stand out from the rest of the buildings. So let's stick a great big cupola on top".


And as for Birmingham University, l"et's stick as many up there as the roof will support!" But seriously, they're lovely features. Viv.


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In earlier days when you designed and built a pub it needed an impressive cupola as seen on the Marquis of Lorne.
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That's amazing Phil, a hell of an onion on top there! Suspect it's an Indian influence, maybe to celebrate when Queen Victoria became Empress of India. Viv.
 
An interesting dome/cupola on top of the building over Dunn's. Access to the room in the turret must have been interesting, either from a door on the roof or from a ladder inside. Impractical I suppose but it looks nice !
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