Appraisal

No. 4, Mercer Street

This is a four-storey, early-20^th-century extension to the rear of no. 2, Mercer Street/ nos. 121-123, Long Acre. Faced in London Stock brick above a glazed, brown brick base, with Bath Stone lintels and mullions to the three-part, full-width ribbon windows at first, second and third floor levels, subdivided into small panes, creating a lively polychrome impact. A small plaque carrying the Mercers’ Company’s demi-Virgin heraldic device – the Mercers’ Maiden – is located at high level above the third floor level window.

The ground floor has an idiosyncratic modern shopfront with rusticated sandstone stall-riser carved with the name ‘Snow + Rock’, and coloured-metal jambs. It is a strong design in its own right, one of the most interesting and original modern shopfronts in the area. A sign carrying individual lettering is suspended above the central entrance, complemented with a small, externally-illuminated, projecting sign at the right hand end of the ground floor storey.

As an extension to the frontage building to Long Acre, no. 4, Mercer Street should be added to the Statutory List at the same time. The frontage would be best kept free of further external signing.