Art Gallery And Public Library, Kirkcaldy Museum, Bennochy Road, Kirkcaldy

Art Gallery and Public Library, Kirkcaldy Museum

This is a 2-storey building with basement, designed by J S Mackay ARIBA and completed in 1925, with an east wing added by Heiton & Mackay in 1928 and mansards added in 1996. It sits on a terrace above the War Memorial and represents a Beaux Arts classical library design. The building is arranged in 17 bays grouped as 3-1-9-1-3, with flanking mansard-roofed wings added later.

The building is constructed from droved ashlar with polished dressings. The detailing includes a base course, channelled plinth, moulded cill course, polished ashlar frieze, consoled eaves cornice and deep blocking course. The wings have a deep base course and continuous stone balustrade. The main features include Doric-columned and balustered porches, raised window margins, mutuled brackets and scrolled consoles.

The south elevation is the principal frontage. It has a bay to the left with 5 steps up to a porch with a disabled access ramp to the left. The porch has a deep-set 2-leaf panelled timber door and plate glass fanlight etched with the Kirkcaldy crest. Above is a modern window breaking the frieze, with wording reading "MUSEUM AND" "ART GALLERY". A broad stepped block pediment sits over the cornice. To the left are 3 windows, and to the right are 9 windows with a similar doorway worded "PUBLIC" "LIBRARY", followed by 3 further windows to the outer right. Across the centre 3 bays runs the inscription: "This building was gifted to the town by John Nairn, Linoleum Manufacturer, as part of the Kirkcaldy Memorial to those who fell in the Great War 1914-18".

The north elevation has the library to the left with 5 windows separated by dividing pilasters in a common surround, with cavetto cornice and deep blocking course stepped at outer chamfered angles. To the right is a ramp leading to a panelled timber door at ground level. A slightly recessed single-storey centre bay contains 3 windows, a stone balustrade and a large rectangular piended rooflight. Beyond this, the museum and art gallery occupies a 9-bay section slightly recessed. A slightly advanced centre bay contains a basement door below a stair window with panelled apron, bracketed cill and flanking consoles beneath a cavetto cornice with stepped blocking course. Windows occupy the flanking bays.

The east elevation on Bennochy Road has 2 windows to the left. To the right is a projecting wing with asymmetrical fenestration. This includes a canted bay to the left with a window to each face. The window to the advanced face is lugged and architraved with a bracketed, corniced windowhead that breaks into the balustrade.

The west elevation has 2 windows to the right and a projecting wing to the left. This wing features an architraved window as described for the east elevation, a bipartite window and door on the return to the right, a window (formerly a door) at ground level, and a window to the mansard on the return to the left.

Windows throughout are 2- and 3-pane glazing patterns in metal top-opening sashes. The mansards are lead-roofed. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers serve the building.

The interior of the Museum and Art Gallery features concrete floors with parquet laid over them, plain and decorative cornices, and cast-iron radiators. The basement contains evidence of Balsusney House in droved ashlar surrounds to former openings, along with mosaic floors and glazed tiles with china fittings to the toilets. The ground floor has the museum to the right and the gallery and Wemyss Cafe to the left. A staircase with cast-iron and turned brass balusters and timber handrail features glazed dados leading to the basement and panelled timber dados to the first floor. At the stairhead is a shop with 2 galleries to the left and 7 to the right, all top lit.

The Library section has decorative and plain cornices and a white and grey marble-lined hall with staff enclosure of walnut. Remaining woodwork is of teak. Ionic columns support a cross beam in the top-lit lending library.

A small pavilion stands to the east with shaped steps, chamfered ashlar piers and square brackets supporting a timber-boarded overhang. The roof is tiled and finialled, piended and swept.