Dick Institute, Elmbank Avenue, Kilmarnock

The Dick Institute, located on Elmbank Avenue in Kilmarnock, was designed by R S Ingram and built between 1878 and 1901. It was damaged by fire in 1909 and subsequently rebuilt in 1910 by Ingram & Brown, reopening in 1911. This classical library and museum features a shallow U-plan with a portico, is two stories high, and has 15 bays. The exterior is constructed of ashlar stone, channelled to the ground, with a base course, a band course at the first floor, an eaves course, and a balustraded parapet on the roof.

The northwest (principal) elevation showcases a central portico supported by four fluted columns with Tivoli order capitals, flanked by two fluted pilasters at the rear. It features a plain entablature and a triangular pediment that displays the Kilmarnock Burgh Arms carved on the tympanum, with sphinxes adorning the lower apexes of the pediment. The entire composition is topped with a figure of Minerva, the goddess of Wisdom. The ground floor has regular fenestration, while the first floor windows are separated by Corinthian pilasters.

The northeast elevation has ten bays and mirrors the fenestration of the principal elevation, with a door located at the fourth bay from the right. The southeast (rear) elevation is constructed of rubble and has an irregular massing. The southwest elevation also consists of ten bays, with doors located at the first and third bays from the right.

The building features 2-pane sash and case windows at the ground floor and 3-pane windows at the first floor. The roof is slate with a piended design, including a dome over the entrance hall and skylights at the rear.

Inside, there is a square stairwell with a tiled entrance floor, leading to a timber panelled corridor that connects to libraries on the left and right, with art galleries located behind and museum space on the first floor.