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Summary

Description

Ellis & Wilson, 1894 (No 80 to left) and R G Wilson 1900 (No 78 to right). Hotel comprising 2 internally linked buildings; to right, 4-storey, 2-attic and basement, double gabled Baroque hotel and to left, slightly recessed, 3-storey and basement, 13-bay Classical former Railway Headquarters (see Notes) with distinctive entrance doorway. Tooled and ashlar granite. 1st storey cornice, cill and string courses.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: No 78 (to right): pilastered ground floor with continuous fascia. Off-centre canopied 2-leaf timber and glass swing entrance door with glass and timber sidelights. Shallow canted 7-light oriel windows with central round arched light to 1st and 2nd storey at outer bays. Round-arched openings above. Central decorative panel with small arcaded parapet above to 3rd storey. Swan-necked apex capping to gables with stacks above. Late 20th century extensions to rear (2006).

No 80 (to left): central decorative consoled wallhead panel. Slightly advanced wide-arched Baroque entrance porch with banded pilasters with chamfered panelling flanking central timber and glass 2-leaf swing door and wide plate glass sidelights. Large Diocletian fanlight above. Some decorative detailing, including lion's head at apex and palmettes.

Variety of fenestration. No 78 with predominantly 6-pane over plate glass timber sash and case windows to 1st and 2nd storey, with casement and non-traditional to upper floors. 4-pane and plate glass timber sash and case windows to rear and E with some non-traditional windows. Grey slate mansard roof with 2 levels of attic dormers to No 78. Scroll skew-putts. No 80 with predominantly plate glass sash and case timber windows. Slate roof. Coped ridge stacks with some hexagonal decorative cans.

INTERIOR: Original room plan largely extant and with some good original features to No 80. Central open well staircase with decorative timber balustrade. Original boardroom with fine timber panelling and decorative chimneypieces and overmantels. 4 and 5-panel timber doors. Decorative plaster cornicing. Some doors with carved timber architraves. Original timber panelled entrance hall. Some stained glass to rear stair windows.

Statement of Special Interest

Situated opposite Aberdeen Railway Station, this well-detailed hotel comprises two stylistically different buildings, built by local architects which makes a distinctive addition to the streetscape. No 80 has a particularly intricately decorated entrance doorway and an interior of some quality, including a timber panelled boardroom and a deep open well staircase. The variety of window types, the unusual capping at the gables and the central decorative panel at No 78 are particularly noteworthy, especially in their departure from the more usual Classical style of the surrounding buildings.

The Great North of Scotland Railway Company built and moved into their headquarters at No 80 Guild Street in 1894. They acquired the adjoining no 78 Guild Street in 1910 and both passed to LNER in 1923. The two buildings are linked internally and now operate as a hotel (2006).

Alexander Ellis and Robert Wilson were Aberdeen architects who were in practice together from 1869-1906. They worked extensively in and around Aberdeen and their output included, in the main, houses, churches and other large office buildings.

References

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