Description

Hutton & Taylor, 1931-2 with later flat-roofed hall addition with screen entrance by Honeyman, Jack & Robertson, circa 1950 (further hall addition by Grant Design, 1997) forming inner courtyard. Well-detailed and carefully proportioned originally cruciform-plan with bellcote at crossing Romanesque church. Aisled nave with clerestory, round-headed openings and striking unusual use of banded red brick with yellow ashlar. Fine interior with good collection of 20th century stained glass.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation. Central gabled section with tripartite round-arched arcade supported by engaged columns with cushion capitals, all with different Celtic interlace design. Recessed central timber panel with leaded pane glazing to upper centre flanked by pair of 2-leaf 8-panel timber doors. Above, pair of long stained glass windows with blind niche at apex of gable. Gable has dentil detailing. Distinctive raised banded quoins, with pair of ironwork lamps and inscription to left with lettering, 'THIS STONE LAID BY JOHN A. MACTAGGART ESQ. 6TH JUNE 1931'.

Leaded panes and stained glass to church. Metal-framed paned windows with top and bottom hoppers to circa 1950 hall addition. Rosemary tiles to roof.

INTERIOR: brick. Aisled with chancel; arcaded nave with simple stone columns with cushion and scallop capitals. Clerestory with whitewashed vaulted ceiling. Transepts have discrete roller shutters to divide the space (see Notes). Oak communion table (original communion table now in entrance hall), pulpit and lectern. Circular stone font. Timber chairs. Good collection of 20th century stained glass, from 1930s onwards, including work by Abbey Studio (work includes pair of windows above main entrance dedicatd to Sir John and Lady Lena Auld Mactaggart), David Hamilton, Gordon Webster, Sadie MacLellan and Eilidh M Keith.

GATES AND RAILINGS: site mostly enclosed by plain railings. Good quality railings to E set on stepped brick wall, decorative with chunky scrolled finial detailing, gates with similar scrolled pattern.

Statement of Interest

Ecclesiastical building in use as such.

An outstanding building in the King's Park area and an innovative church design. King's Park Parish Church was conceived as a 'hall church' where all the functions of the church could be held in the one building, hence the use of chairs, not pews, and the roller shutters which could screen off the transepts when required. Hutton & Taylor won an architectural competition to design the building and this type of church was intended to serve as the model for the Church of Scotland churches being constructed in the new housing districts. Evidently, the accommodation was not enough for the diverse community needs of the congregation and a hall was added by Honeyman, Jack & Robertson in 1950.

An unusual use of banded brick with distinctive stone dressings and choice of Romanesque styling ensures that the church stands out in King's Park and it forms an important contribution to the area's streetscape and social history. The attention to detail in areas such as the timber and ironwork is evidence of the quality of workmanship and design in this building.

The foundation stone was laid by John A Mactaggart (1867-1956) of the renowned housebuilding firm, Mactaggart & Mickel on 6th June 1931. Mactaggart & Mickel were responsible for much of the interwar housebuilding at this time in the new suburb of King's Park. Mactaggart and his wife are further commemorated in a pair of stained glass windows (see Interior).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813718

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House