Description

J and J Hall, dated 1906. 3-storey and basement, Arts and Crafts technical institute, with single storey and basement bays to W side. Re-inforced concrete framed to E P Wells' system. Red brick; cream sandstone ashlar dressings and red granite dressings, rusticate quoins, cill and coping, brick dies. Sited on falling ground. Segmentally-arched windows and stone mullioned semi-circular windows. Lesser doors and service/machinery doors boarded.

N ELEVATION: 9 symmetrical bays, centre 3 advanced with doorways in bays flanking centre. Steps over-sailing basement recess to doors, each in moulded ashlar panel, part roll-moulded surround and incised scroll detail above; billeted lintel and blocked fanlight; small windows flanking; panelled 2-leaf doors. Bipartite at centre and to 1st floor, semi-circular windows at 2nd; large windows flanking centre at 1st and 2nd floor. 3 outer bays each side with bipartites to each bay at principal and 1st floor, semi-circular windows at 2nd. Bipartites to basement bays. Gilded "Ramsay Institute" sign.

S ELEVATION: 9-bay. Rectangular, balustraded stair block projecting at centre with door at basement, flanked by smaller door and tripartite windows to each floor above. Large round-arched machinery door to outer left; regular bipartites in remaining bays and at principal and 1st floors to each bay. Semi-circular windows at 2nd floor, that to outer left with door breaking centre, now blocked.

SIDE BLOCK: balustraded single storey and basement block projecting to W, to left of W elevation. 2 bipartites to N, 2 windows to W, and large round-arched service door to S; boarded door. Basement windows to N and W.

W ELEVATION: 3-bay. Set-off, coped brick stalk adjoined to right of centre. Metal scale platt forestair fire escape (section missing), windows altered to door as appropriate.

E ELEVATION: 3-bay. Large service ramp to machinery doors at principal floor level; bipartites to basement, principal and 1st floors of flanking bays, semi-circular windows at 2nd floor, with doors inserted by metal forestair fire escape (as above).

Square-pane glazing patterns to metal windows with pivotal sections. Flat ruberoid roof behind cast-concrete balustrade. Brick water-tank on roof, to W. Original gutterheads retained. Decorative square ventilation bricks at intervals. Decorative cast-iron lamp brackets to angles.

INTERIOR: re-inforced concrete structure to E P Wells? system of square pillars, main and secondary beams of E P Wells? twin bar type.

GATEPIERS, GATES AND RAILINGS: 3 pairs of brick piers, 1 pair with rusticated ashlar quoins and corniced granite caps. Cast- and wrought-iron gates and railings, 1 pair of gates with decoratively wrought detail. Railings set on coped course.

Statement of Interest

Of national significance as one of the few works by E P Wells, the first British holder of re-inforced concrete patent. This is one of the first half-dozen re-inforced concrete multi-storey buildings in Scotland, the others being to the French Hennebique system. The contractors were Stuart's Granolithic Co Ltd. Originally a chocolate factory for Messrs Schultz and Co, converted to the Ramsay Technical Institute in 1922 and to housing, 1995. The numbering of the building will be altered once the conversion has been completed, 1995.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17570439

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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