Gates And Railings, Gatepiers, Queen's Terrace Communal Garden Balustrading, Aberdeen

Gates And Railings, Gatepiers, Queen's Terrace Communal Garden Balustrading, Aberdeen

This is a Grade B listed structure comprising gates, railings, gatepiers and garden balustrading associated with Queen's Terrace, a palace block designed by Mackenzie and McMillan between 1877 and 1879. The main building is a substantial 2-storey structure with basement and attic, featuring a 3-storey central and terminal pavilions. The block comprises 21 bays arranged symmetrically, containing 9 two-bay houses and 1 three-bay house, now predominantly used as offices.

The building is constructed of tooled coursed grey granite, finely finished to dressings and margins, with long and short v-jointed quoins. Features include a base course, dividing band course, eaves course and eaves blocking course. Granite ashlar steps lead to the entrance platform, which oversails the basement and is flanked by railings. The entrances have panelled timber doors flanked by glazed panels and letterbox fanlights. Windows have recessed aprons.

The principal (south) elevation is near-symmetrical across its 21 bays. Numbers 5 and 6 comprise a slightly advanced 4-bay central pavilion of 2 mirrored two-bay houses with doorways to the 2 central bays of the principal floor and regular fenestration to the 1st and 2nd floors above. Three-light canted windows extend through the basement, principal and 1st floors, forming a balcony to the 2nd floor of flanking bays on either side, with tripartite windows to the 2nd floor. Numbers 2 to 4 and numbers 7 to 9 comprise mirrored 6-bay linking blocks of two-bay houses, with doorways to the inner bays and single windows above. Canted windows extend through the basement, principal and 1st floors of the outer bays, and there are 2 piend-roofed canted dormers to the attic floors. Number 1 is a slightly advanced 3-bay terminal pavilion with a doorway to the centre of the principal floor and regular fenestration to the floors above, along with a 3-light canted window through the basement, principal and 1st floors forming a balcony to the 2nd floor of the flanking bay, and a tripartite window to the 2nd floor. Number 10 is a slightly advanced 2-bay terminal pavilion with regular fenestration and canted windows as described above.

The east elevation is obscured by adjoining Rubislaw Terrace. The north (Rubislaw Terrace Lane) elevation shows predominantly regular fenestration with various additions, including a decoratively gabled bay to the outer right with an advanced flue from the 1st floor and an inset semi-circular panel at the 2nd floor. The west (Prince Arthur Street) elevation is asymmetrical across 6 bays, with 3 gabled bays to the right, a decorative tripartite doorway to the left of the ground floor with a balustraded balcony on oversized granite brackets above, a 2-leaf glazed timber door to Number 10 flanked by glazed panels and letterbox fanlights, a window to the centre bay of the ground floor, and a blank bay to the right. Regular fenestration extends to the 1st and 2nd floors. A 2-storey 2-bay block to the outer left has regular fenestration to the ground and 1st floors with a balustraded parapet above.

Windows are predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case. The roof is grey slate with a lead ridge, coped stone skews, and coped gablehead and ridge stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The interiors have not been inspected since 2000.

Decorative iron railings enclose the basement to the south elevation, with regularly placed modern lamp standards.

The south-facing rectangular-plan garden to Queen's Terrace is enclosed by low granite walls surmounted by replacement decorative railings on the south, east and west sides. A balustraded granite terrace encloses the garden to the north. Square-plan rough-faced piers with corniced caps stand to the east, west and flanking an iron gate at the centre.