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| - The Grade II* listed Argent Centre is on the corner of Frederick Street and Legge Road in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, England.
Designed by J. G. Bland for W. E. Wiley, a pen manufacturer, it was built in 1863, and acquired the name Albert Works, possibly because it was opposite the Victoria Works of Joseph Gillott.
Despite the appearance of being a huge, solid building, it consists of long, narrow, multi-storey workshops only 16 feet wide, surrounding an open courtyard. This was a common arrangement at the time allowing natural light to reach workbenches from two sides. With floors constructed of hollow bricks tied with wrought iron it was fireproof, removing the need for insurance. The multicoloured brickwork decorates a design reminiscent of renaissance Florence. Recycled steam from the works engines went to a Turkish bath in the northern end of the building. Now flat-roofed, it originally had pyramids on each corner tower. A bomb dropped into the court yard at some time during WWII and the bent window frames were visible at least till the mid-1980s.
It was home to Griffin & George, scientific equipment supplier to schools and universities, as well as Gallenkamp, laboratory equipment suppliers, part of the Fisons Scientific Equipment Division until their move to London in 1983/4. The technical staff, sales and marketing personnel, draughtsmen and prototype engineers were housed there. It was converted to offices in 1993. (en)
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