Administration Centre, Hawkhead Hospital, Paisley

Designed by T S Tait in 1933, this hospital complex originally comprised a flat-roofed administration block with six ward pavilions behind, a nurses' home to the southwest, and ancillary buildings to the north including a gate lodge, staff cottages, laundry, boiler house, and wards 7 and 8 (the former cubicle isolation block). The buildings are constructed of brick and dry-dash (formerly smooth rendered) with steel-framed windows, many now removed. Ward 6 was not listed. Following redevelopment of the site in 2021, the ward blocks, mortuary, and boiler house were demolished and replaced.

Administration Block

The two-storey, T-plan administration block faces west and has been marred by later alterations at the rear and modern glazing. The principal west elevation features an eleven-bay centre block with single-storey bowed wings. The tripartite doorway has a central entrance divided from glazed side panels by black tiled piers with a central yellow stripe running from head height to the top, which continue through the canopy almost to coping level. Flanking brick piers support a cantilevered concrete canopy that continues above. A tripartite window sits above the doorway with a semi-balcony between brick piers. A band of blue tiles runs below the concrete coping. The returns are handed, with chimney stacks removed. The top of the bow is treated as a balcony, continued on the return by a cantilevered concrete canopy with tubular steel railings. Below the canopy, an entrance bay features a large window with a blue tile panel at an angle with a doorway to the rear and a small single window in the re-entrant. Access to the balcony on the upper floor is from a door inside with a blue tiled pillar on the angle, and forward-facing windows.

The rear elevation comprises a rear wing measuring seven bays by three bays, marred by later additions and alterations.

Former Nurses' Home

This symmetrical, two-storey, flat-roofed block exhibits notable 1930s features with extensive use of tilework and continuous glazed bows. The south elevation presents a depressed central eleven-bay range with the ground floor advanced and featuring a blue and green tiled base course. The elevation is terminated by single-storey projecting lounges with continuous glazed bows resting on brick base courses, cantilevered canopies, and roof terraces with solid parapets. The first floor has a balcony formed by the roof of the advanced and canopied ground floor, with blue-tiled piers breaking the coping at the base and dividing tripartite windows. The outer five-bay range is terminated by a slightly advanced plain brick bay, with similarly treated returns.

The north elevation is a nineteen-bay austere block with recessed terminal stair towers, marred by replacement glazing. A wide cantilevered canopy sits above the entrance, which comprises a recessed tripartite entrance bay with a central doorway flanked by blue-tiled piers breaking through the canopy with concrete coping, and glazed outer bays flanked by brick piers to fanlight cill level. A tripartite window on the first floor has broad brick piers. To the right is a tall stair window, with single windows to the left and further small single windows beyond; the corresponding bay to the right is plain. The flanking two bays comprise paired tripartite windows with a further six single windows completing the elevation. The recessed stair tower has a doorway at ground floor and a small single window at first floor.

Wards 1-5

Six single-storey, T-plan ward pavilions are ranged on north-south axes to the rear of the administration block. Verandah canopies on the south elevations have been removed.

Ward 1 (former pneumonia pavilion) is situated immediately to the rear of the administration block. The east elevation is a fifteen-bay ward pavilion with an advanced entrance block featuring a canopied, recessed two-leaf door flanked by yellow-tiled piers to fanlight level with concrete coping, and long four-light windows to either side with yellow-tiled dividing piers. The windows adjoin the doorway in a broad tiled panel, with the concrete cill extending through the panel and terminating at the door pier. The roof is depressed at the centre. The block extends at the right with a blank wall. Six single windows occupy the outer bays. Exposed brick sun lounges on the returns have wrap-around glazing. The west elevation has had its cantilevered canopy across the windows removed. The centre is marked by twin projecting sanitary annexes flanking a centre bay comprising a tripartite window with advanced brick piers breaking through the lintel with concrete coping. The centre three bays have a brick base course. The outer six bays comprise five windows with a door in the end bay.

Ward 2 (former diphtheria pavilion) is situated to the rear of Ward 1 and is a smaller version of Ward 1, with shorter wards. Sun lounges on the returns are as on Ward 1. The east elevation is an eleven-bay ward pavilion with an advanced entrance block and four single windows in the outer bays. The west elevation has had its cantilevered canopy removed. The outer bays comprise three windows with a door in the fourth bay.

Wards 3 and 5 (former measles and whooping cough pavilions) are identical, with sun lounges on the returns. The east elevations are identical to Ward 2. The west elevations are eleven-bay ward pavilions with cantilevered canopies removed. Each features a tripartite window at the centre with blue-tiled dividing piers, flanked by four windows and a door on the outer bay.

Ward 4 (former scarlet fever pavilion) is identical to Ward 1.

Boiler House and Mortuary

This single-storey, T-plan block has a square brick chimney to the rear. Original metal-framed windows survive. The south elevation has the mortuary to the left with a stained glass circular window, and a separate arched two-leaf doorway on the return. The chimney is square-section tapering yellow brick with a flared red brick top, staggered on the east and west. Clasping shallow buttresses have concrete copings. Later banding appears towards the base and at the top.

Laundry Block

This single block on a gently sloping site has a long ridge ventilator over the central section. Original metal-framed windows survive. The south elevation features a nine-bay advanced symmetrical centre block with small single windows flanking a central recessed seven bays with large windows divided by brick piers. The central block is flanked by four-bay wings with asymmetrical fenestration comprising three broad windows with a single square window on the outer flank. The wing to the west is lower. Low, recessed entrance bays at each end have three small windows on the returns and canopy roofs.

Porter's Lodge and Waiting Room

This asymmetrical flat-roofed gate lodge on a gently sloping site comprises a two-storey main block with a single-storey wing containing a waiting room to the rear. A brick base course on the main block and curtain walls features prominent horizontal pointing. Small ventilation grills sit above first-floor lintel level on the main block. The west elevation is two bays, with a canopied door at the far right flanked by a shallow brick screen on the inside, and a small single window on the ground floor at the far left. A stair window to the left carries over into a bipartite landing window on the first floor.

The south elevation comprises a single-bay, two-storey block flanked by a three-bay single-storey wing. The brick base course of the main block extends to the left in a curtain wall, capped by unusual tubular steel art-deco railings. A tripartite window appears at ground floor and at first floor, with a bipartite angle window to the right featuring a blue tiled corner pier. The wing comprises a tripartite part-glazed porch with a central door and later glazing inserted; three dividing pillars are blue tiled with yellow tiled heads. A flat roof oversails to form a canopy. A terrace to the front of the porch is reached by steps to the left with a brick facing wall formerly capped by similar art-deco railings, now replaced by modern rails with a ramp added in front.

Cottages

Four cottages built for male staff form a symmetrical block, comprising central two-storey square semi-detached cottages flanked by two single-storey cottages in projecting wings. Coped chimney stacks sit on the central block. The south elevation features a central two-storey block with a low-pitched piended roof and central squat chimney stack, with a centred pair of windows to the ground and first floor, a small ventilation grill above the first-floor windows, and canopied doors in the re-entrant. The flat-roofed single-storey cottages have a central canopied door with a shallow brick screen on the outer flank. The doorway is flanked by single windows with a ventilation grill above. The side elevations are handed, with the central block having two windows to the rear side and an advanced chimney stack to the front side, breaking through the coping. The wings have a single window to the rear side.