Despatch Warehouse, Kilncraigs Mills, Alloa

The Despatch Warehouse at Kilncraigs Mills in Alloa was designed by William Kerr, John Melvin & Son Architects in 1936, incorporating fabric from 1924 in the basement and ground levels, along with a later link. This six-storey building, which includes a basement, features nine bays arranged in a 1-7-1 grouping and is designed in the International Modern style. It is a former despatch warehouse connected to a separate 1903 office block. The exterior is made of whitewashed reinforced concrete with a steel superstructure, built over coursed and snecked dressed red sandstone, which has dressed margins and rusticated quoins, except for the link, and some brickwork at the ground level.

On the north elevation, the building has regularly-fenestrated bays with bipartite windows on the ground floor, except for the outer right bay. The upper floors feature horizontally-emphasised glazing that decreases in height. There is a slightly recessed later link bay on the left, which has pilastered bays and vertical glazing on the third and fourth floors that echo the 1904 building.

The west elevation includes a ground floor with two steel shutter doors, one of which has a block-pediment above, and a blocked window to the left. The upper floors have regular fenestration similar to the north elevation.

The south elevation mirrors the north elevation but has been altered at the ground level.

The east elevation adjoins the 1904 building. It features multi-paned iron-framed casement windows, many of which have been removed for safety but are stored within the building. The roof is slated and has a piended multi-pitched design with horizontal lights.

Inside, H-section reinforced steel columns support splayed primary reinforced concrete joists. The steel columns and beams are stamped Dorman Long & Co Ltd, Middlesborough and Skinningrove England British Steel. The interior consists of open-plan floor areas with supporting columns and original timber floors, along with some earlier cast-iron columns located in the basement.