Lanark County Buildings, Almada Street, Hamilton

D G Bannerman, Lanark County Architects' department. 1959-64.

Engineer: W V Zinn. International Modern group of two large civic buildings arranged in a podium and tower composition set in a wide plaza-type public space of hard landscaping.

ADMINISTRATIVE AREA: 17-storey, 200-foot monumental tower block externally clad on east and west gables in white ceramic mosaics: north and south facades are of anodised aluminium curtain walling with mosaic-clad bands at sides and top. The curtain walling is horizontally-banded where it fronts office space, and vertically-lined where it fronts the lift hall and the two catering floors.

COUNCIL AREA: Organised around a north-south corridor spine, directly accessible from the tower block. On the west side of the corridor is a range of committee rooms and at the north, where the corridor extends into the plaza, the circular Council Chamber which has vertical split windows alternating with precast concrete units and a direct public entrance to extreme south. Internally the Council Chamber has stepped rows of desks rising to south.

CIVIC SQUARE: Monumental entrance plaza with paving, lawns, pools and fountains traversed by a bridge from Almada Street to the main entrance and reached by a ramp from Beckford Street.