Music Hall, 174-194 Union Street, Aberdeen

Archibald Simpson, 1820; large hall added by James Matthews 1858-9, murals by Robert Douglas Strachan 1899 to circa 1909; restored 1986. Centrally sited, notable monumental tall single storey and single-storey with attic, 5-bay, neo-Greek Aberdeen civic building with hexastyle Ionic portico and fine interiors. Grey granite, polished and dressed. Raised base course and cill course, plain entablature rising into blocking course. Plain angle pilasters, lugged architraves, shallow aprons. Square- and segmental-arched windows.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: principal SE elevation to Union Street has steps up to portico with plain tympanum, large 2-leaf panelled timber door and decoratively-astragalled fanlight at centre and tall windows in flanking bays. Long return elevation to NE with regular 7-bay fenestration, flanked by blind niche at outer left and taller bays at outer right incorporating consoled doorpiece. Taller elevation to NW with long, stepped flat-roof single storey entrance bays projecting at ground, and largely regular segmental-arched fenestration to 2-storeys at set-back face.

Multi-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows throughout.

INTERIOR: spacious well preserved classically-detailed interior, handsomely treated throughout with fine plasterwork, timberwork and fireplaces. Steps up from vestibule lead to ionic-columned saloon with elliptical dome and pilastered T-projection promenade with coffered ceiling. To left of promenade Corinthian-columned Round Room (café) with centre oculus, and Square Room (Concert Bar) with anta order and dome; service rooms in former ballroom space with segmentally-arched ceiling to right. Promenade leads to rectangular-plan Music Hall, also with vestibule at North Silver Street, with stage and full-organ at W end, gallery on cast iron columns with decorative bowed ironwork front and raked seats to E, elaborate coomb ceiling with elliptic and circular decoration; murals include 'Apollo and the Muses' above organ, Orpheus theme and pre-Raphaelite 'Muses'? by Hugh Adam Crawford, 1949. Staircases with decorative ironwork balusters flank saloon.