Music Pavilion And Cafeteria, Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline

Designed by John Fraser and built in two phases — the cafeteria in 1926–27 and the music pavilion in 1934 — this single-storey L-plan building stands at various heights, with the cafeteria running east to west and the music pavilion oriented north to south, adjoining to the west. The design is Cape Dutch in character, featuring partially harled whitewashed walls, pantile roofs, crow-stepped gables (those on the cafeteria with scrolled skewputts), and tall harled chimneys. The main block of the music pavilion is aisled with a double-stepped clerestory on all sides, while the cafeteria has an aisled form with a single clerestory along its main axis. The cafeteria is harled with artificial stone or concrete dressings; the music pavilion uses artificial stone or concrete blocks with harled upper stages to the main block. Deep projecting eaves run throughout, with those on the cafeteria swept and featuring projecting geometrically modelled joist ends. The main block of the music pavilion has a base course, cill course, and striped band course, with an artificial stone or concrete block frieze to the lower clerestory stage and artificial stone or concrete eaves bands throughout. Artificial stone or concrete cills are fitted to windows.

South (Principal) Elevation

The south elevation comprises seven bays along the main axis of the cafeteria, divided at aisle level by octagonal artificial stone or concrete piers (apart from the far right pier), set back slightly to the centre. Large glazed areas sit between the piers beneath a flat roof. Artificial stone or concrete steps with a central cast-iron balustrade with rounded ends lead up to the entrance in the second bay from the right, which has flanking pilasters and a pair of glazed two-leaf timber doors. Steps also rise to the far left bay beside a harled planter with concrete coping. Small windows are set back in the clerestory. A long harled planter with concrete coping is positioned forward in front of a low terrace. Flanking slightly projecting crow-stepped gables frame the elevation; the left gable opens onto the entrance hall of the music pavilion. Both gables have scrolled skewputts and decorative panels at the centre — the left gable depicts a woman with a harp in Art Deco style. Artificial stone or concrete steps with a pair of cast-iron balustrades with rounded ends ascend to the left gable end, which features a triple round-arched arcade with square-plan artificial stone or concrete block piers beyond, flanked by octagonal piers with striped band courses and urn-like finials with carved caps. A triple round-arched entrance is set back within a vestibule, with artificial stone or concrete block architraves to glazed two-leaf timber doors and multipane fanlights above. A low flat-roofed bay is set back to the left, harled above an artificial stone or concrete block base, with a large window. The right gable has a triple round-arched arcaded entrance leading onto a terrace with an artificial stone or concrete balustrade and bowed front; two-leaf glazed timber doors with multipane fanlights provide access. A low bay with a large window is set back to the right.

North Elevation

The main block of the music pavilion projects forward to the right on the north elevation. An open stage projects forward at the centre with a flat cantilevered artificial stone or concrete canopy and a segmental recess behind. Flanking narrow canted bays each have a narrow window. Paired narrow windows occupy the two outer bays on each side; the outermost windows are set back with an architraved entrance with angled upper corners at the top of steps to a re-entrant. Three windows are set back in the upper clerestory. The cafeteria is set back to the left. A slightly projecting crow-stepped gable end left of centre has three tall round-arched windows and an artificial stone or concrete shield inscribed 'AD 1927' on the gable. Six bays, four of them glazed, form the aisle to the right; a former entrance bay with flanking artificial stone or concrete pilasters is third from the left, with octagonal artificial stone or concrete dividing piers to the three bays on the right. A glazed two-leaf door stands in the central bay. The clerestory is set back with small windows. A low section to the left of the gable includes a central entrance and two left bays (part of a small 1937 extension) set back; the entrance is architraved with a panelled timber door and a two-light rectangular fanlight. A semi-open-sided shed to the right has octagonal artificial stone or concrete piers at the corners.

East Elevation

The narrow end of the cafeteria stands to the left on the east elevation. A low projecting section (a small 1937 extension) to the right has a wide window and an inserted serving hatch. A triple window arrangement and a single window occupy the left return. A crow-stepped gable end to the main block is set back, with a crow-stepped gable set back to the left featuring a large window to the left and steps up to a central glazed door. The main block of the music pavilion is set back to the right. An entrance with stepped architrave right of centre has a glazed two-leaf timber door with a rectangular Art Deco fanlight with banded glazing. Three narrow windows are to the right; two groups of three large windows are to the left. A crow-stepped breaking-eaves gable with three narrow windows at the centre of the lower clerestory has flanking outer windows. Three windows are set back in the upper clerestory.

West Elevation

The main block of the music pavilion projects to the left on the west elevation. An entrance with stepped architrave left of centre has a glazed two-leaf timber door with a rectangular Art Deco fanlight with banded glazing. Three narrow windows stand to the left; two groups of three large windows are to the right. A crow-stepped breaking-eaves gable with three narrow windows at the centre of the lower clerestory is set back to the centre, with flanking outer windows. Three windows are set back in the upper clerestory. The entrance hall of the music pavilion is set back to the right. A central section with flanking stepped divides above the eaves has a large central window and flanking windows; artificial stone or concrete blocks and a flat glazed roof, curved at the edge, extend to this section and a single bay set back slightly to the left. A low section with a large window is set back to the right; the side wall of the entrance hall is set back beyond, with an architraved entrance, angled at the upper edges, to the right.

Windows and Roofs

Apart from large glazed replacement bays, the cafeteria has mainly multipane timber sash and case windows; those on the upper tier of the main axis have diamond panes within a single frame. The music pavilion has mainly steel-frame multipane casements, with horizontal steel bars in groups of three stripes to narrow windows. Roofs are mainly pantile, piended to the main block of the music pavilion, with flat roofs (probably asphalted) elsewhere. A projecting wallhead stack stands on the west side of the entrance hall to the music pavilion, and one at the east end of the main ridge of the cafeteria; both are harled with artificial stone or concrete bands at the apex. Cast-iron downpipes serve the building; those at the north gable of the cafeteria have embossed thistle motifs.

Interior

The interior retains the majority of its original features. The clerestory of the main room of the cafeteria is supported on painted octagonal artificial stone or concrete piers, with joist ends of aisle roofs projecting above. A beamed ceiling with decorative brackets spans the space. A glazed entrance to the entrance hall of the music pavilion stands to the west, with banded windows incorporating leaded Art Deco designs above. A room to the east has a recessed fireplace with a painted artificial stone or concrete block surround and a plaster peacock motif above, plus a panelled timber dado. Original three-panel doors remain throughout. The large entrance hall of the music pavilion has a beamed ceiling with decorative brackets, a bronze statue by Richard Goulden of four children on a granite base at the centre, and original pendant glass lampshades. In the main room, a two-tiered clerestory is supported on circular and rectangular-plan piers, the latter with Art Deco mouldings at the apex; a modern suspended ceiling hides the upper levels. A slightly projecting stage has a timber-panelled semicircular recess to the rear and a painted artificial stone or concrete Art Deco surround incorporating plaster panels of medieval and Roman horn players, one on either side, with flanking timber steps of Art Deco design. Single panelled timber doors lead to smaller rooms north of the stage, including a lavatory with original fixtures and fittings — toilet bowl, washbasin, and tiled walls.

Terraced Seating

Several low segmental-plan artificial stone or concrete terraces exist to the north of the music pavilion, built as 'auditorium' seating for the external stage.