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Summary

Description

William Kerr, of Kerr and Gray, architects, 1935-38. Strict classical public frontage to Bank Street, of yellow-coloured polished ashlar; contrasting white-painted concrete subsidiary elevations in more avant garde, Moderne idiom to S and rear (to Coalgate).

BANK STREET ELEVATION: showrooms entrance; symmetrical, 3-bay centre block slightly recessed between projecting 2-bay blocks to either side, shop-front of gas showrooms at ground between, with balcony carried across in front of 3 1st floor windows. Strict classical style, relieved by hint of Art Deco in glazing and in 'stream-lining' of incised horizontal banding above plinth, linking ground floor windows, and linking 1st floor windows above in flanking blocks. Large windows with moulded surrounds at 1st floor of centre block, and at ground floor of flanking blocks with multi-paned (30-pane), fixed metal windows, central 6-pane sections above opening as hoppers. Smaller square window openings cut into 1st floors of flanking blocks, with casement windows (with 12 leaded panes).

3-bay SHOP-FRONT with 2 large picture windwos either side of central recessed entrance bay; original Art Deco glazing pattern survives over large picture windows and over entrance. Also original wrought-iron railing in front of 1st floor balcony. Centre block rises above wallhead with corniced parapet, stepped at centre over sculptured panel (burgh crest, inscribed "in the forefront"). Flat-roofed behind. End elevation, turning corner from Bank Street to Stripehead: a deeply scooped single concave bay, with 3-light canted window projecting at ground, and single window at 1st floor; retaining wall in front of canted window as site slopes away around corner.

S (STRIPEHEAD) ELEVATION: less symmetrical, 3-storey (ground/basement where ground slopes to E); ashlar at 2 left-hand bays where facade wraps around corner; continuing to right with ashlar at basement/ground only, and ashlar band course between ground and 1st floors, white-painted concrete above. Single window openings cut into 1st floor grouped either side of tall, narrow, 2-storey vertical stair window off-centre. To right a single ashlar architraved window with cast-iron balcony off-centre to left of a group of 4 single windows over ground floor side entrance which has projecting concrete canopy. Narrow strip windows to 2nd floor, with fixed multi-paned metal windows, divided by mullions faced with blue glazed tiles.

REAR ELEVATION (TO COALGATE): short splayed elevation with shopfrints at ground floor with concrete canopy with rounded ends over; 1st and 2nd floors recessed between bulbous, rounded angle 'towers'; 1st floor with 3 windows, centre with pair fixed windows shutters and recessed semi-circular carved panel over; 2nd floor with continuously-glazed narrow stripwindow with blue-tiled mullions, as on S elevation. Concrete blocking course. Original light fitting on hook-shaped bracket attached to left-hand rounded angle 'tower'.

Interior not seen (1992).

Statement of Special Interest

Built for Alloa Corporation.

References

Bibliography

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