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Summary

Description

Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, 1873-74. 2-storey, 4-bay bold Lombardic Gothic style former college building with prominent octagonal tower to far left and gabled frontage. Rough-faced granite with lightly stugged dressings. Stepped plinth base course; double string course between 1st and 2nd floors. Tall, arcaded round-arched openings to ground floor separated by pilasters; round-headed panels above with linked mouldings. Wider tower bay to far left with further round-arced opening. Windows at 1st floor with pointed heads rising to finialled gable, linked by parapet balustrade. Tower bay converts from square to octagonal over 2nd floor; faces alternate between buttresses and louvred, hoodmoulded openings; water spouts at angles in parapet; circular, galleried belfry stage with louvred openings; conical, slated roof with finial. Bold stack to rear with cavetto coped cornice. Rear harled, relatively plain with raised ashlar margins; central bay recessed; raised quoin details to flanking bays.

Two levels of multi-panefixed glazing to ground floor separated by infill section. Top-opening windows with glazing bars to 1st floor. Predominantly non-traditional glazing to rear. Grey slate roof; coped ashlar end stacks.

Statement of Special Interest

Originally built as the Church of Scotland Training College, Nos 261-267 is an early work by the Aberdeen architect Alexander Marshall Mackenzie who was arguably to become the foremost architect in the city by the turn of the century. The building is particularly notable for its distinctive and imposing Lombardic Gothic octagonal tower which provides a strong focal point, situated towards the middle of the long North-South axis of George Street. George Street is predominantly lined with 19th century tenements with shops to ground, punctuated by a number of educational and mercantile buildings lending to its varied character. Nos 267-267 with its rare use of Gothic in this part of the city, adds significantly to the streetscape of this area. Mackenzie would return to the Gothic style with his outstanding frontage to Marischal College towards the end of his career. The property has been converted to flats (resurvey 2006).

References

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