Grange School, Grange Road, Alloa

Grange School, Grange Road, Alloa

Grange School is a substantial Art Nouveau school building designed by Kerr and McCulloch and constructed in 1908–9, with later additions made in 1939 and around 1960. The main building is a symmetrical, roughly rectangular structure of two storeys with a basement, arranged across ten bays in a 3-4-3 configuration. It is constructed of squared, snecked and droved red sandstone with red ashlar quoins and margins. The end bays feature distinctive swept gables, and shorter two-storey, four-bay balustraded outshots run along the side elevations. The ground level falls away to the west, exposing the basement.

The principal east elevation displays the building's finest architectural detail. The central bays feature ground floor openings with projecting carved keystones and hoodmouldings. A carved plaque at the centre bears the raised inscription "Grange School" and "1908", above which sits a curved canopy supporting a flagpole. The second floor lintels have projecting keystones with coping that sweeps into a curved parapet wallhead. The gabled end bays showcase raised red ashlar lettering and stylised floral motifs within corniced panels positioned between the ground and first floors. The left gable is inscribed "Alloa Burgh" and the right "School Board". At first floor level, segmentally-arched tripartite openings with stone mullions feature distinctive carved projecting keystones that break the hoodmouldings, with coped wallheads.

The south elevation comprises roughly five bays with a lower four-bay outshot to the centre. The taller flanking bays have swept gables with a central chimney stack to the return. Second floor openings break the eaves with projecting keystones and coped lintels. A swept gable at the centre breaks the wallhead, with a distinctive semi-circular opening at first floor level featuring a projecting carved keystone and projecting carving to the apex. The outshot displays a distinctive carved balustraded parapet, with tripartite windows to the centre bays at second floor level. A tripartite window to the basement is currently blind, and a semi-circular opening occupies the centre at ground floor level. The north elevation is similar to the south elevation.

The rear elevation follows the pattern of the east elevation but with reduced architectural detailing. It features wide segmental arched openings with projecting keystones to the basement, which were filled in during the late twentieth century with uPVC glazing.

Windows are predominantly later timber sash and case windows with horns, though some ground floor and basement openings have been replaced with uPVC units. Some windows retain stained glass. The roofs are pitched grey slate with central leaded chamfered ventilators and leaded flat roof sections; the central hall is partially glazed over. Leaded flat roofs cover the outshots, whilst the gym hall has a flat roof and the classroom extension is topped with a hipped grey slate roof. Square chimney stacks are coped with cylindrical clay cans.

Adjoined to the north elevation is a tall, single-storey, four-bay rectangular-plan gym hall with flanking outshots, constructed of dry-dashed brick with ashlar base course and moulded ashlar window surrounds. A two-storey, eight-bay classroom extension to the west of the gym hall is cement rendered.

The boundary wall comprises low squared rubble with half-round coping, topped with simple painted iron railings. Tapered gatepiers flank the entrance, those to the left having shallow pyramidal capping and those to the right truncated.

The interior (as observed in 2010) features a double-height, top-lit central hall with a galleried first floor. Glazed tiled dado work covers the ground floor and first floor levels. Tapered painted columns with distinctive Art Nouveau capitals support the first floor gallery. Large classrooms open from the east and west sides of the hall. A mezzanine level above the ground floor, set to the south and north of the hall, accommodates offices and features segmental arched openings with distinctive keystone motifs to the hall. Tapered timber architraves frame the door and window openings of the offices, and small glazed green tiled fire surrounds are fitted to the offices.