Employment Exchange, 17 Mar Street, Alloa

The Employment Exchange, now a Jobcentre, located at 17 Mar Street, Alloa, was designed by William Kerr of John Melvin and Son and constructed between 1931 and 1932. It is a symmetrical, rectangular, classical commercial building of five bays and two storeys plus an attic. The building exhibits stripped Baroque detailing and is constructed primarily of red Dumfriesshire sandstone, with smooth ashlar to the front elevation and squared stugged rubble to the side elevations. A base course is present, and a balustrade features in the centre of the parapet. Flush cills are also a notable detail.

The principal (NE) elevation is characterized by the central three bays projecting slightly, with channelled quoins. An advanced entrance bay features fluted pilasters, a two-leaf timber panelled door, and a glazed inner door set within a plain roll-moulded opening. Modern signage (Jobcentre) and date stones (1862, 1932) are affixed to the facade. Above the entrance is a central window with a scrolled apron. The wallhead displays the arms of the Alloa Co-operative Society. A central, round-headed dormer breaks the eaves, featuring a semicircular pediment supported by Doric columns, with decorative wrought iron railings. A recessed balustrade with square urn finials is present to the central bays. Carved relief panels depicting cornucopia are located at the end bays, complementing the stepped parapet.

The NW elevation showcases regular fenestration on the left side, with a single entrance door to the lower right, above which is a large, mullioned and transomed stair window. The attic level is punctuated by a central, round-headed window with a bracketed balcony and decorative railings. The SE elevation mirrors this design, featuring two bays and a central, round-headed window to the attic level, complete with a bracketed balcony and decorative railings. False relieving arches are positioned over the ground floor windows.

A single-storey rear hall block is constructed of cement-rendered material, featuring a glazed, pitched roof central hall flanked by flat-roofed office ranges. Large, 10 and 12-pane timber windows are positioned to the rear, alongside modern glazing in horizontal openings to the sides.

The interior includes an oak-panelled entrance hall with classical details, and an upper floor corridor with vaulted ceilings, timber door surrounds, and Diocletian fanlights. There is also an oak-panelled boardroom. The rear hall incorporates a concrete truss roof with rooflights along the pitches.

Predominately timber sash and case windows are found throughout, with 24 panes to the first floor and 16 panes to the ground floor on the front elevation. A leaded timber casement window is located at the rear of the main block. The building is topped with a grey slate roof, stone skews, and a corner stack on the SE elevation. Cast iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers are also present.

Low ashlar boundary walls with fluted copes are accompanied by drum gatepiers capped with stone balls and cast-iron railings with spear-head finials.