East Pavilion, City Hospital, Urquhart Road, Aberdeen

East Pavilion, City Hospital, Urquhart Road, Aberdeen

This hospital complex was designed by William Smith between 1874 and 1877, and subsequently extended and enlarged by John Rust from 1892. The site comprises an administration block at its centre, flanked to the west and east by pavilions, with a north lodge and gatepiers positioned to the north of the reception block, and a smaller east lodge. The principal elevations of the reception block and north lodge are finished in tooled coursed grey granite ashlar, while the remainder of the complex employs Aberdeenbond granite, with finely finished margins throughout.

ADMINISTRATION BLOCK

The administration block is predominantly the work of John Rust. It rises to two storeys with a prominent three-storey central bay to the principal elevation, and includes a rear addition. The main front presents nine bays with French architectural detailing. The base is marked by a base course, with cill courses and an eaves course above, and the principal elevation is crowned by a balustraded parapet. Channelled rustication appears at the quoins.

The north-east principal elevation is near-symmetrical, with the three-storey central bay forming a tower at second-floor level. This tower is flanked by finely finished pilasters displaying channelled rustication and fluted decoration to the second floor. The ground floor contains a decoratively architraved bipartite window at the centre. The first floor features a round-arched tripartite window with a segmental-arched hoodmould. The second floor has a tripartite window. At the eaves level, a blocking course contains a round-arched clock positioned centrally, flanked to left and right by granite urns. Above this rises a square-plan truncated domed roof finished in green fishscale slate, topped with decorative iron brattishing and a weathervane. The roof is punctuated by timber dormers with oculi on each elevation. A glazed timber doorway opens to the ground floor of the flanking bay to the right, now fronted by a modern flat-roofed porch. The remaining bays to left and right display regular fenestration across their ground and first floors.

The north-west elevation is near-symmetrical across seven bays, with five bays to the central block displaying regular fenestration at ground and first-floor levels. A gabled bay flanks the composition to the outer left, containing a window to the centre of its ground and first floors. A gabled bay to the outer right preserves a survival of William Smith's original hospital, with a single window positioned off-centre to the left of the ground floor.

The south-west elevation originally faced the principal elevation of William Smith's hospital, which was predominantly demolished in the late twentieth century. The current elevation is near-symmetrical, with a three-storey gabled bay advanced to the centre fronted by a blank modern harled wall. Near-regular fenestration appears across the ground and first floors of three-bay returns to left and right. The second floor of the left return contains two bipartite windows, while the right return has a single bipartite window. A modern harled addition occupies the re-entrant angle to the right, obscuring recessed bays beneath. Three recessed bays remain to the left, with a modern timber door positioned to the right of the ground floor and regular fenestration elsewhere.

The south-east elevation is near-symmetrical across seven bays, with five bays to the central block. The ground floor displays a corniced window with consoles at its centre, with regular fenestration beyond. Two granite tablets appear at first-floor level. A gabled bay flanks the composition to the outer right, displaying regular fenestration to ground and first floors. A gabled bay to the outer left represents a survival of William Smith's hospital, likewise with regular fenestration to ground and first floors.

Throughout the block, windows are predominantly two-pane and four-pane timber sash-and-case designs. Coped granite skews feature decorative skewputts. The roof is finished in grey slate with lead ridges. A corniced granite wallhead with gablehead and ridge stacks carries decorative square-plan cans. Rainwater goods are predominantly cast iron.

The interior was not observed in 2000.

PAVILIONS

The two pavilions, which flank the reception block to the north-west and south-east, were designed by William Smith and extended by John Rust in 1892, with twentieth-century additions and alterations. Both are predominantly single-storey structures of H-plan with Italianate styling. Each displays a base course and eaves course, with narrow windows.

The north-east principal elevations are asymmetrical, with six-bay inner pavilions by William Smith. The two central bays contain regular fenestration, whilst angled bays flanking left and right contain single windows. These adjoin two-storey square-plan Italianate towers advanced to the left and right, each displaying regular fenestration to the ground floor and two round-arched windows to each elevation of the first floor. The first-floor windows of the south-east pavilion have been infilled. Both towers feature overhanging eaves and shallow pyramidal lead roofs. Deeply recessed bays link to single-storey, three-bay outer blocks extended by John Rust. These blocks are distinguished by a bowed four-light central bay with a decoratively scalloped parapet, flanked to left and right by three windows.

The north-west, south-west and south-east elevations display predominantly regular fenestration, with a variety of harled additions and alterations evident.

Windows throughout are predominantly modern replacement glazing. The roofs are finished in grey slate with lead ridges. Corniced wallheads, gableheads and ridge stacks carry standard details. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

The interiors were not observed in 2000.

NORTH LODGE

The north lodge was designed by John Rust in 1892. It is a single-storey structure of two bays positioned to the north of the reception block. It features a base course, panelled aprons to ground-floor windows, an eaves course, and overhanging eaves.

The south-east entrance elevation is asymmetrical, with an advanced bay to the right containing a three-light canted window at its centre. A square-plan two-storey entrance tower occupies the re-entrant angle to the left. The ground floor of this tower contains a segmental-arched doorway with a panelled timber door and letterbox fanlight. The first floor displays three round-arched windows, with a ground-floor window and three round-arched first-floor windows above appearing on the left return. The tower is crowned by a shallow pyramidal roof with an iron weathervane to its apex. A window opens to the recessed bay to the left.

The north-east elevation is blank, with adjoining boundary walls flanking left and right.

The north-west elevation was not observed in 2000.

The south-west elevation is symmetrical, comprising a single bay with a broad window at its centre, and a flat-roofed harled addition adjoining to the outer left.

Windows are predominantly modern PVCu. The roof is piended in grey slate with lead ridges. Coped stacks break the pitch, carrying circular and octagonal cans. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

The interior was not observed in 2000.

EAST LODGE

The east lodge was designed by John Rust in 1892 and stands to the east of the south-east pavilion, occupying the site of a former waiting room. It is single-storey with a base course, panelled aprons to windows, an eaves course, and overhanging eaves.

The south-east entrance elevation is near-symmetrical, with an advanced entrance bay at its centre containing a timber pilastered doorway with a timber door and letterbox fanlight. Windows appear to the left and right returns of this bay, with windows also opening to flanking bays to left and right.

The north-east and north-west elevations were not observed in 2000.

The south-west elevation features an advanced bay with three windows to the left, a blank right return, and a blank flanking bay to the right.

Windows are two-pane timber sash-and-case. The roof is piended in grey slate with lead ridges. A coped stack breaks the pitch, topped with a decorative square-plan can. Rainwater goods are cast iron.

The interior was not observed in 2000.

GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS

Four square-plan granite gatepiers stand to the north-east of the reception block, each with a corniced neck and pyramidal cap. A light fitting surmounts the inside pier to the west, removed from the pier to the east. A low wall surmounted by railings adjoins the north lodge to the west. High rubble walls with pointed coping flank the gatepiers to east and west. A low coped Aberdeenbond granite wall encloses a narrow strip of garden in front, with railings now removed. Predominantly low Aberdeenbond granite walls line the east of the hospital, punctuated by square-plan gatepiers with pyramidal caps and decorative iron railings. High rubble walls bound the remainder.