Description

Circa 1855; additions by J J Burnet (for himself) at No. 70 University Avenue, 1891. 2-storey and partial basement, 19-bay classical terrace of 3-bay houses except No. 74, 4-bay with entrance in 2nd bay from right. Polished ashlar, channelled at ground floor. Ground floor band course; 1st floor cill course; cornice pierced parapet. Small single storey service wings to rear.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: alternating right and left entries each at head of steps.

S ELEVATION (RETURN TO 70 UNIVERSITY AVENUE): 3-bay with central entrance. Single storey canted wing to W channelled, corniced with piended roof.

Timber sash and case windows, mainly 8-pane glazing. Slated valley roof with stair cupolas; mutual stacks.

INTERIOR (No. 70 University Avenue and 80 Oakfield Avenue partially seen 2010): decorative plasterwork, including cornices to principal rooms; cast-iron balusters to stairs; panelled doors; painted glass fanlight to No. 80 Oakfield Avenue; clear and pale leaded glass vestibule doors after the manner of Oscar Paterson to No. 70 University Avenue.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: coped gatepiers to No. 70 University Avenue; droved ashlar retaining walls with coping (railings missing) to Oakfield Avenue; rubble boundary walls to University Avenue.

Statement of Interest

Oakfield Avenue is part of a complete classical terrace of continuous design stretching the length of the street and dating from the mid 19th century. The terrace is well designed and the continuous unified façade makes a good contribution to the streetscape of the surrounding area which is characterised by villa developments. No. 70 University Avenue (formerly No. 18) is of historical interest as the former home of the architect Sir John James Burnet (1857-1938). The extension to the west was added by Burnet in 1891. The Glasgow Post Office Directory of 1866 lists another architect, John James Stevenson (1831-1908), as living at No. 12 Oakfield Terrace (now No. 72 Oakfield Avenue).

John James Burnet was one of Scotland's leading architects in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Son of another architect, John Burnet Senior, he trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Burnet was a pioneer of the stylistic move from historicist styles to a tradition-based, but free-style architecture. He developed enormously successful and influential practices in Glasgow and London, designing a number of eminent buildings including the Fine Art Institute, Athenaeum Theatre, Charing Cross Mansions, Atlantic Chambers and Clyde Navigation Trust Offices in Glasgow and the Kodak Building, the second and third phases of Selfridges, Adelaide House, and the King Edward VII Wing at the British Museum in London. Burnet was knighted for the latter project in 1914. Commissions for the University of Glasgow included: the Bower Building (1900), Anatomical (Thomson) Building (1900-01), James Watt Engineering North Building (1901 and 1908), University Chapel (1923-29), Zoology Building (1923), and Hunter Memorial (1925). The neighbouring Glasgow Western Infirmary also employed Burnet Sr and John James Burnet for a number of projects.

Nos. 72-80 Oakfield Avenue are linked in design with Nos. 62-70. The terrace opposite was one of the first to be demolished as part of the University of Glasgow's redevelopment plans in the 1950s - it comprised a row of 3-bay houses with central doorways.

Formerly listed as '70-80 (Even Nos) Oakfield Avenue and 70 University Avenue, Hillhead'.

List description updated as part of review of the University of Glasgow Hillhead Campus, 2011. The building numbers are derived from the University of Glasgow Main Campus Map (2007), as published on the University's website www.gla.ac.uk.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56634197

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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