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Summary

Description

A Marshall Mackenzie, 1898; later additions and alterations. 2-storey, basement and attic, 3-bay traditional villa. Tooled coursed pink granite ashlar, finely finished to margins at NW elevation; Aberdeen bond rubble to remainder. Rough-faced granite basement floor; ground floor cill course; raised margins; strip quoins; eaves course.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; architraved doorway to centre bay of ground floor, 4 stone steps flanked by iron railings lead to 2-leaf panelled timber door with oval glazed upper panels; tripartite windows to basement and ground floor of flanking bays to left and right; regular fenestration to 1st floor.

SW ELEVATION: part gabled; link to 57 Queen's Road at ground and basement floor; simple lean-to oriel below wallhead with window to centre.

SE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; full basement floor; addition advanced to centre bay of basement, surmounted by lean-to conservatory at ground floor, 2-storey lean-to addition adjoining at bay to left; regular openings to all floors of bay to right, window to 1st floor of centre bay; flue of wallhead stack advanced and breaking eaves between centre bay and bay to left; bipartite window to bay to left at 1st floor; variety of dormers to attic floor.

NE ELEVATION: part gabled; piend-roofed addition to centre of ground floor, window to 1st floor above.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows, plate glass lower sash and small-pane upper sash; some 4-pane windows to rear. Piended and gableted grey slate roof with lead ridges. Corniced gablehead and wallhead stacks with octagonal and circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: good interior; many of mouldings, cornices, architraves, wall and ceiling plasterwork survives. Decoratively glazed 2-pane inner door with fanlight; ionic pilastered hallway with rib-vaulted roof; panelling and neo-classical plasterwork ceiling to principal room at ground floor, fire surround; staircase and balusters survive.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: corniced square-plan rough-faced granite gatepiers to NW (shared with adjacent properties); low coped walls between, surmounted by railings (later addition); granite and brick coped rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Special Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 55 Queen's Road is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Queen's Road is on the site of Skene Road, which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned the road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as A Marshall Mackenzie, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. Mackenzie designed many of the adjacent villas (see separate listings). 55 Queen's Road is one of the more traditional villas at this end of Queen's Road with simple detailing and mouldings, but a fine interior.

References

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