Description

Pirie and Clyne, 1891. 2-storey and attic, 2-bay, square-plan villa with Egypto-Greek detailing. Coursed rough-faced grey granite finely finished to margins. Dark grey granite base course; ground floor cill course; moulded cills course to 1st floor; finely finished lintel and band course to 1st floor.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; doorway to left of ground floor, pilastered panelled timber door flanked by glazed panels and letterbox fanlight, 2 navel paterae above; broad window to 1st floor above doorway, decorative volutes flanking below lintel; gabled bay to right, 3-light canted window through ground and 1st floors forming balcony at attic floor; 2-light window to attic flanked by squat pilasters below lintel, raised cornice above with mirrored scroll ornament, scrolled finial to apex; circular-plan angle turret to outer left at 1st floor, window to centre, cornice above with mirrored scroll ornament, conical fishscale slate roof with simple finial.

NE ELEVATION: gabled.

NW ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

SW ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 2-bay; gabled bay to right, tall bipartite stair window between ground and 1st floors with decorative stained glass, 4 stained glass windows to attic floor; decorative sunflower patera set in gablehead, scrolled finial to apex. 3-light bowed window to ground floor of bay to left; window to 1st floor; gableted 2-light window breaking eaves to attic floor, tablet with navel paterae set in gablehead, simple stone finial to apex.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Stone skews. Coped gablehead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: most mouldings and doors survive; etched glass to inner door of porch; stair with distinctively turned timber balusters.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: low rough-faced pink granite Aberdeen bond walls to S with grey granite snecking and coping; gatepiers to left (on Fountainhall Road) and right, shared with Nos 94-96 Hamilton Place (see separate listing), grey granite shaft swept up from plinth, rough-faced pink granite neck surmounted by scrolled cap, rubble dividing walls to E and W; decorative iron archway between house and wall to W.

Statement of Interest

A-Group with 63, 79, 62, 64-66, 68-70, 72, 74-76, 78-80, 82-84, 86-88, 90-92 and 94-96 Hamilton Place, Whitehill Bowling Green Wall and 87 Fountainhall Road (see separate listings). 98 Hamilton Place is part of J B Pirie (1851-1892) and Arthur Clyne's (1853-1924) finest terrace. It was built for John Morgan (b. 1841), an Aberdeen builder who specialised in high quality granite cutting and carving. Morgan was a close friend of Pirie, and was involved in much of the work undertaken by the partnership. The majority of Pirie and Clyne's houses on Hamilton Place follow the same formula: symmetrical double villas of mirrored plan, 2 gables or pediments to the attic, with a parapet running between. However, 98 Hamilton Place is a single villa. It is a more elaborate version of the two more restrained villas by Pirie and Clyne on Hamilton Place, Nos 63 and 79 (see separate listing), incorporating details from the more elaborate houses. The navel-like paterae appear in the majority of the designs by the partnership. The paterae are probably a development of the sunflower (a favourite motif of the Aesthetic Movement) or daffodil. A variation of the patera is also a favourite motif of Alexander Thomson, who appears to have been a strong influence on Pirie in particular. The use of different colours of granite, as in 86-88 Hamilton Place, gives added interest to the decorative facades. The elaborate volutes flanking the attic windows are similar to waves. Many of Pirie's details appear to have a nautical theme, perhaps because his father was a sea-captain. Of note also is the bowed window, which was unusual at that time as canted bays were much cheaper. The bows are more than a semi-circle, another feature used by Alexander Thomson, which Pirie and Clyne may have seen at "Croyland" 202 Ayr Road Newton Mearns (1875) or at Holmwood, Cathcart (1857-8) (see separate listings), which was also illustrated in Blackie's Villa and Cottage Architecture. Despite the similarities with the work of Thomson, Pirie and Clyne's designs are also highly individual. Their buildings combine High Victorian gothic, Greek, Scots Baronial, Aesthetic Movement and even proto-Art Nouveau motifs the resulting buildings being witty, bold and imaginative.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17576635

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.

Recommended Books

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