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Summary

Description

Walker and Duncan, 1896. 2-storey and attic, 4-bay double villa. Rough-faced coursed grey granite with contrasting light grey finely finished dressings to N elevation; coursed granite rubble to remainder. Base course; ground and 1st floor cill courses; raised margins; chamfered reveals; eaves course.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical mirrored double villas; architraved doorways to centre 2 bays at ground floor, pilastered panelled timber doors flanked by glazed panels with letterbox fanlights; piend-roofed bipartite windows to 1st floor above, supported on decorative granite brackets, terracotta finials to apexes. Piend-roofed 4-light canted windows through ground and 1st floors of bays to outer left and right, terracotta finials to apexes. Skylights to attic floor.

W ELEVATION: gabled; openings to centre bays of ground and 1st floor, small opening off-centre to left of attic floor. 2-storey wing adjoining to outer right.

S ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

E ELEVATION: gabled; openings near-centre at ground, 1st and attic floors. 2-storey wing adjoining to outer left.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows with decoratively astragalled upper sashes. Grey slate roof with terracotta and lead ridges. Stone skews with scrolled skewputts. Coped gablehead and ridge stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIORS: not seen 2000.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan gatepiers with pyramidal caps to N, low coped rubble walls between; brick and granite coped rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Special Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 29 and 31 Rubislaw Den South is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den South runs almost parallel to Queen's Road (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 Skene Road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as Walker and Duncan, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. Of particular note at 29 and 31 Rubislaw Den South is the distinctive geometric glazing pattern and good terracotta detailing.

References

Bibliography

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