Description

1939-1950, J Ogg Allan. Symmetrical, Art Deco, flat-roofed E-plan with long central wing extending to rear, 2-storey (recessed clerestory to linking wings to NW elevation), bowed ends to central spine; central glazed bow tower to rear. Swimming pool complex, to the rear, added 1978. Coursed squared granite rubble; harling to linking wings of NW and to end of projecting wing to rear; predominantly concrete lintels and cills, some concrete margins, quoins and band courses. Base course; ground floor lintel course to some sections; coped parapets;

projecting blocking course to bow ends and flanking wings to rear. Predominantly horizontally orientated large Crittal windows, some vertically orientated and corner windows.

NW ELEVATION: canted advanced central 9-bay section; pilaster-strips dividing central 3 bays; doorway to centre; cantilevered concrete canopy between ground and 1st floor. Recessed 8-bay linking section to left with single-storey projection to ground floor; recessed 9-bay linking section to right with small single storey projection. To ends of linking sections, single and 2 storey, 2 and 4 bay projecting sections. Recessed bowed ends to outer left and right.

SE ELEVATION: central 5-bay section with stepped parapet, central glazed bowed tower, to ground floor, large projecting hall wing. Flanking to left and right, 12-bay 2-storey wings with bowed ends; to left,

canted canopy (glazing now missing) to ground floor (see Notes).

GLAZING etc: predominantly coated metal windows. Flat roof. Tall tapered brick chimney projecting from centre of roof. Mixture of plastic and cast iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

A good, little altered example of 1930s modernist architecture, displaying many of period's most advanced concepts in educational architecture.

Tullos Primary School was built to serve the needs of the new residential estates which were built on Tullos and Torry Hill in the late 1920s and 1930s.

J Ogg Allen was the Aberdeen School Board architect. Although construction of Tullos Primary School began in 1939, construction ceased due to the war, leaving the building at first floor level. Building, to the original plan with some additons such as the single storey hall projecting to the rear, resumed following the war, and the school finally opened in 1950.

Tullos Primary School was designed with attention to the major trends of educational architecture of the 1930s;

these were largely concerned with the importance of providing a clean, healthy, bright environment for learning. The best way of achieving this was considered to be the creation of buildings which gave access to plenty of ventilation, fresh air and sunshine. Allen sited Tullos Primary School close to its northern perimeter, thus maximising the south facing area of the site. To the south elevation, the ground floor rooms were given glazed walls which could fold back to allow pupils to fully enjoy clement weather (the walls no longer function in this way and the openings to the E have been partly blocked up).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770797

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

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)