These rather impressive stainless steel doors are the secondary entrance to the NatWest Building on Hertford St in Coventry.
According to Historic England, the NatWest building was constructed in 1929-30, and you can see an Art Deco influence in both the ornate door panels and the stone decoration on the arch. The icons on the doors were taken from British, Irish and Ancient Greek coins, and this door design was also used at several other NatWest branches across the UK, though in bronze or mahogany, rather than steel.
The NatWest building, remarkably, survived the Coventry Blitz of November 14, 1940, and is now a Listed Building. The Blitz was one of the most devastating bombing campaigns of World War II and decimated much of the mediaeval city centre including Coventry Cathedral, located just a few streets away from this building.
This is my entry to this week’s Thursday Doors Challenge, courtesy of Norm 2.0. To see more doors or add one of your own, head on over to his site and click the link.
Helen Glynn Jones 
Gorgeous and unusual 🙂
Thank you 🙂
A wonderful choice. I love the embossed (stamped) designs in each of those panels.
Thanks Norm – me too 🙂
Very impressive and in stainless steel, too. I can see the hen and the bull from old Irish coins.
Yes, apparently at other branches they made the same doors in bronze, or, at a couple of locations, in carved mahogany. I might have to see if I can track one down 🙂
As if the door wasn’t magnificent enough, they built an impressive entrance around it!! This has *WOW* factor 🙂
And this is the side entrance! The front has a pillared portico like a temple – I’ll have to take a photo next time I’m there 🙂
Are you serious?! A side entrance! {sigh} They just don’t make buildings like that anymore.
They sure don’t, sadly.
Very imposing doors Helen. 🙂
Thanks Marjorie 🙂
🙂
Wow amazing doors!
They are pretty special, that’s for sure 🙂
Yes 🙂
Ooh… I love Art Deco but, honestly, I wouldn’t have noticed it unless you had mentioned it. Great shots!
I could just leave this comment alone or I could embarrass myself. I’m going to go ahead and embarrass myself. I’m tired and meant I love Art Nouveau. Which might explain why I didn’t recognize the doors as Art Nouveau.
So, yes. Anyway. Lovely photos. 😜
That’s awesome, Sarah 😀
I love Art Nouveau too, and your comment made me smile. Hope you’re managing to get some rest!
Very impressive doors. Lovely.
Thanks, Ruth 🙂
Coming a few days late means most of the comments I would have made have already been posted. But these doors are both unusual and impressive.
janet
Thanks Janet 🙂 And your comments are always welcome, whenever you can make them.
wow this is well impressive – wish my bank looked like that x
It’s lovely, isn’t it? Apparently they’ve replaced the original interior with a more modern one, sadly – I remember it when I was a kid having tiled floors and big wooden teller windows.
I love how much you should the magical little places in Coventry. It helps me to feel ast peace with being back here
Thanks, Abigail, that’s really nice of you to say. I do believe it is a place with pockets of magic, despite all it’s been through as a city. I always enjoy coming back for a visit 🙂