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Summary

Description

Kininmonth and Spence, 1931-32. 7-bay, 2-storey (arranged 2-3-2) Secessionist-style villa, sited within large suburban garden; advanced outer pavilions and artificial stone entrance archway to centre. Cavity brick construction, painted smooth cement render. Base course; cill course at 1st floor. Flat-arched openings; predominantly curved jambs. Full-height stepped chimney stacks flanking central section of S elevation and to side elevations.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: timber and glazed entrance door set within recessed porch, with recessed round-arch and angled ashlar jambs surround. 2-leaf timber and glazed doors to outer pavilions.

W ELEVATION: prominent stepped stack to centre, with square-headed window set within round-arched recess at 1st floor.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: projecting bay at centre, oculus at 1st floor of E return. 2-leaf timber and glazed doors to right pavilion. Dormers flanking projecting bay. Single storey, 5-bay, rectangular-plan service wing abutted to left pavilion, with door to centre.

E ELEVATION: mirror of W elevation.

Predominantly 16-pane, timber casement windows with distinctive 28-pane floor-to-ceiling-height windows to main elevation. Grey slate, piended roof. Harled and coped ridge stacks to service wing.

INTERIOR: 1930s Moderne interior scheme. Dog-leg stair with marble treads and elaborate wrought iron and bronze balustrade with stylised peacock theme. Arched surround with inglenook to fireplace in sitting room. Stone fireplaces to principal rooms. Predominantly panelled cedar doors with door furniture.

GARAGE: double garage abutted to single-storey service wing. Painted smooth cement render; stone base course. Strip of small pane clearstorey windows to side elevations, flanked by plain pilasters and one to centre. Slate ogee roof. Replacement profiled steel doors.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATE PIERS AND GATES: painted smooth cement rendered brick low boundary wall topped by timber fencing, with central and flanking piers with curved top to street. Wrought iron gates to entrance and walls topped with ball finals.

Statement of Special Interest

Glenwood is the architectural practice of Kininmouth and Spence's first commission and is an excellent and largely-unaltered example of their early domestic work and an important example of inter-war domestic architecture in Scotland. The style is evocative of Lutyens, Lorimer and the Vienna Secessionists, characterised by white painted, harled brick construction, monumental chimney stacks, steeply-pitched tiled roofs and extensive multipane glazing. These design features would be repeated in later commissions such as Spence's 'Country House' at the 1938 Empire Exhibition in Glasgow. Internally the building retains much of its original features, especially high quality joinery such as internal doors with wooden latches and staircase.

Glenwood was designed for Dr George Grant Allan, a partner of William Kininmonth's brother. The house was Kininmonth's first commission and his name alone appears on the drawings submitted for building consent in 1931. The Kininmonth and Spence practice was founded soon after and Spence produced the presentation perspectives for Glenwood and other commissions. Surburban houses for the Edinburgh's professional classes provided the core of the practice's early work, with commissions such as Glenwood and Lismhor, Easter Belmont, Edinburgh (1932-35). At the same time Spence continued to teach at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Basil Spence and William Hardie Kininmouth were two of Scotland's foremost 20th century architects, both of whom were knighted for their services to architecture. Spence leapt to prominence during the Festival of Britain in 1951 as chief architect for the Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow. Some of his most renowned works include Coventry Cathedral and the British Embassy in Rome, which promoted him internationally. Kininmonth's work was also wide-ranging, such as Pollock Halls of Residence (1952-59 and 1967-69) and the University of Edinburgh's Adam House (see separate listings).

Kininmonth and Spence were profuse in the design of domestic commissions. This included single dwellings, such as Broughton Place, near Tweedsmuir (1936), Quothquan near Biggar (1937) and Gribloch near Kippen (1937), as well as municipal housing schemes such as 12-30 Victoria Street, Dunbar (1935) (see separate listings).

Listed as part of the Sir Basil Spence thematic listing survey (2009-11).

References

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