Description

William Kerr, 1903-4; altered and converted to office units, LDN Architects, 2003-04. 4-storey and attic, 13-bay, L-plan English-Baroque office building formerly including factory premises, S elevation enclosed by monumental bowed curtain wall. Polished sandstone ashlar with rusticated quoins. Chamfered base course, channelled and corniced ground floor, mutuled cornice. Round-headed openings to ground, Gibbsian doorpiece; keystones; some shouldered architraves; corniced giant order, Ionic-capitalled, fluted pilasters flank alternate bays, those to bays 4 and 10 extend into 3rd floor and terminate in broken apex pediments above cornice, and bays 2 and 12 to incorporate date '1904'.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: bays 4 to 11 arcaded at ground with door to left and regular fenestration to each floor above. 3 bays to outer left with square-headed windows throughout, single windows to centre bay at ground, 1st and 2nd floors, and bipartites elsewhere (except that to ground left which is altered). 2 bays to outer right also with all square-headed windows, bipartites to ground and 1st and 2nd floors at right.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: bowed curtain wall with entrance on return to right.

N ELEVATION: 3-bay elevation with asymmetrical fenestration and 2 doors at ground; 3 floors above with bipartite windows to outer bays flanking lion-finialled engaged columns framing centre bay with larger bipartite window surmounted by elaborate stone dated '1904' below semicircular window and cornice giving way to aediculed window and broken segmental pediment. Windows to outer bays at windows.

S ELEVATION: adjoins separately listed 1936 building.

Largely multi-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, those to N in original windows. Some coloured glass, see below. Grey slates to shallow, piended, multi-pitched roof. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hopper.

INTERIOR: much fine interior detail retained at office floors (ground and 1st floors). Decorative plasterwork; architraved panelled doors; parquet floors. Principal entrance with bevelled glass to sunburst-astragalled fanlight over screen door; stair hall with bronze memorials to WWI and WWII, timber-panelled dado and black and white marble floor. Marble dog-leg stair with early Charles Rennie Mackintosh influence timber balusters. Arcaded openings with some original doors and glazing, and single large cast-iron column to ground floor offices; 1st floor

boardroom with panelled plasterwork ceiling, panelled dado and Milners Patent Safe; both floors retain some wall-mounted air conditioning Blackman fans. 1st floor hall top-lit with decorative coloured glass and large segmental-headed window (now overlooking 1936 building) with Art Nouveau style coloured glass. Further staircase with ceramic-tiled dado comprising glazed tiles with green border and green Art Nouveau panels. Panelled toilet cubicle with decoratively glazed lights and brown and grey marble splashback.

Statement of Interest

The foundation of Kilncraigs Factory was John Paton's cottage industry as spinner and dryer in Alloa, but it was to rise to become the largest wool spinning company in Great Britain. The earliest factory buildings date from circa 1830 and consisted of a 2-storey and basement rectangular mill building, following the common Lancashire model, with an adjoining warehouse. Twenty years later the company expanded its property erecting the West Mill, the East Mill (Burnside Building) followed in 1859, and the North Mill in 1868. Toward the end of the 1870s the original mill building was rebuilt and the new works included a modern engine house. All of these buildings were very utilitarian in appearance, constructed using cast-iron columns and all the stair towers were fireproof. This functional plainness of the factory site was overturned in 1903 when William Kerr was commissioned to design an office block to adjoin the 1860s warehouses. The new monumental English Baroque style building corresponded to increasing civic pride exhibited throughout the industrial world. Following the social ethos of the time, the family became philanthropic patrons, building a Town Hall factory workers as well as running a Sunday school. Ross's fine Baroque building is now complimented by a splendid full-height glass atrium retaining the early ironwork and industrial character. The restored building was opened by Andy Kerr MSP in March 2004.

There is an Avery Weighbridge situated immediately in front of the west elevation, to the north end.

The adjoining Despatch Warehouse is listed separately.

Up-graded to category A 20 August 2004.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q15116618

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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