Holburn Central Church And Church Hall, 20 Holburn Street, Aberdeen

Holburn Central Church and Church Hall, 20 Holburn Street, Aberdeen

This is a substantial 2-storey, 3-bay classical church with adjoining halls and a prominent tower, built in three phases. The main church was designed by Alexander Fraser in 1836, the hall added by W J Smith in 1881, and the tower constructed in 1891. The building is constructed in coursed granite ashlar with Aberdeen bond granite rubble to the rear, featuring a base course, architraved windows, dividing band course, and eaves course throughout.

The principal east elevation presents a symmetrical composition dominated by a 3-bay pedimented central block with regular fenestration to the ground floor and 3 segmental-arched windows to the first floor in pilastered bays. The pediment is surmounted with a central tablet inscribed "1836 1903" and a crucifix at the apex. To the right adjoins a 2-storey, 3-bay Italianate church hall. A 2-leaf panelled timber door sits to the left of the ground floor with a tall letterbox fanlight, flanked by 2 windows with projecting cills. The hall's first floor features 3 round-arched windows with panelled aprons and keystone details, with an eaves blocking course displaying a central tablet stepped-up reading "1881". To the outer left stands a square-plan 4-stage tower with a round-arched pilastered doorway with keystone detail to the ground floor, opening via a 2-leaf panelled timber door with simple fanlight, and a bipartite window to the left return. The second stage has pedimented windows to the centre of the east and south elevations above a deep cornice. The third stage features small bipartite windows to the centre of the east and south elevations, with a datestone to the east reading "1891" and a geometric blind balustrade above. The octagonal fourth stage is set back and features round-arched openings to each facet with impost and keystone details, topped by a domed lead roof with an octagonal lantern and finial at the apex.

The west elevation is symmetrical with 3 bays featuring stained glass windows and regular fenestration to the ground floor, with segmental-arched windows to the first floor. The adjoining hall features a circular window to the centre of its rubble ground floor and a harled addition to the first floor with a 7-light window.

The south elevation is asymmetrical with 4 bays. Two bays to the left adjoin the tower. The main block has regular fenestration to the ground floor and 2 round-arched windows to the first floor. A flanking bay to the left is stepped back with a doorway and window to the ground floor and a single round-arched window to the first floor, with the outer left angle decoratively chamfered. A further stepped-back bay to the outer left contains an infilled segmental-arched opening near the centre. A March Stone reading "CR" (City Royalty) is positioned at the outer quoin.

The north elevation is obscured by an adjoining building.

The roof is covered in grey slate with lead ridges, coped stone skews with blocked ashlar skewputts, cast-iron ridge vent, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Windows are predominantly stained glass and leaded, with some timber sash and case windows surviving.

The interior contains fine stained glass windows throughout, with those to the east designed by Douglas Strachan. The principal entrance is through the tower, which features panelling below the dado level, a dog-leg stair with a decorative newel post and iron balusters, and a fine reeded handrail on metal brackets. Some original panelled timber doors survive. The nave has been divided into 2 levels as a later alteration, with the ground floor nave containing predominantly modern fittings and the hall above featuring a moulded plasterwork ceiling. An iron dog-leg stair with twisted balusters serves the hall. A small chapel with a circular stained glass window sits to the rear of the hall, with boarded timber below the dado.

Boundary walls consist of low coped granite walls to the south and brick coped rubble walls to the southwest and west.