Description
T S Tait, designed 1933. Flat roofed brick and dry-dash (formerly smooth rendered) blocks. Steel-framed windows, many now removed. Administration block facing West with 6 ward pavilions behind, (Ward 6 not listed) former Nurses' Home to Southwest of site, to North from West, gate lodge, staff cottages, laundry and boiler house and wards 7 and 8, the former cubicle isolation block. ADMINISTRATION BLOCK: 2-storey, T-plan block with later alterations at rear, marred by modern glazing. PRINCIPAL (West) ELEVATION: 2-storey, 11-bay centre block with single storey bowed wings. Tripartite doorway with central entrance divided from glazed side panels by black tiled piers with central yellow stripe running from head height to top, which continue through canopy almost to cope level. Flanking brick piers supporting cantilevered concrete canopy, continued above. Tripartite window above doorway with semi-balcony between brick piers. Band of blue tiles below concrete cope. Returns handed, chimney stacks removed. Top of bow treated as balcony, continued on return by cantilevered concrete canopy with tubular steel railings. Below canopy, entrance bay with large window with blue tile panel at angle with doorway to rear and small single window in re-entrant. Access to balcony on upper floor from door inside with blue tiled pillar on angle, and forward facing windows REAR ELEVATION: rear wing 7x3 bay, marred by later additions and alterations. FORMER NURSES' HOME: symmetrical, 2-storey, flat roofed block. Notable 1930s features with use of tile work and continuous glazed bows. SOUTH ELEVATION: depressed central 11-bay range, ground floor advanced with blue and green tiled base course, terminated by single storey projecting lounges with continuous-glazed bow resting in brick base course, cantilevered canopy and roof terrace with solid parapet. 1st floor with balcony formed by roof of advanced and canoped, with blue-tiled piers, breaking coping at base, dividing tripartite windows. Outer 5-bay range terminated by slightly advanced plain brick bay, with similarly treated returns. NORTH ELEVATION: 19-bay, austere block with recessed terminal stair towers, marred by replacement glazing. Wide cantilevered canopy above entrance, recessed tripartite entrance bay with central doorway flanked by blue-tiled piers breaking through canopy with concrete coping, and glazed outer bays, flanked by brick piers to fan-light cill level. Tripartite window to 1st floor with broad brick piers. Tall stair window to right, single windows to left with further small single windows beyond, corresponding bay to right is plain. Flanking 2 bays comprise paired tripartite windows with a further 6 single windows completing elevation. Recessed stair tower with doorway at ground floor and small single window at 1st floor. WARDS 1-5: 6 single storey, T-plan, ward pavilions ranged on North-South axes to rear of administration block. (Ward 6 not listed). Verandah canopies on south elevations removed. WARD 1: former pneumonia pavilion, situated immediately to rear of administration block. EAST ELEVATION: 15-bay ward pavilion, with advanced entrance block. Canopied, recessed, 2-leaf door, flanked by yellow-tiled piers to fanlight level, with concrete coping, and long 4-light windows to either side with yellow-tiled dividing piers. Windows adjoin doorway in broad tiled panel, concrete cill extends through panel, terminating at door pier. Depressed roof at centre. Block extends at right with blank wall. 6 single windows in outer bays. Exposed brick sun lounges on returns with wrap-around glazing. WEST ELEVATION: cantilevered canopy across windows removed. Centre marked by twin projecting sanitary annexes flanking centre bay comprising tripartite window with advanced brick piers breaking through lintel with concrete coping. Centre 3 bays with brick base course. Outer 6 bays comprise 5 windows with door in end bay. WARD 2: former diphtheria pavilion, situated to rear of ward 1, smaller version of ward 1, with shorter wards. Sun lounges on returns as on ward 1. EAST ELEVATION: 11-bay ward pavilion with advanced entrance block. 4 single windows in outer bays. (See ward 1 above). WEST ELEVATION: cantilevered canopy removed. Outer bays comprise 3 windows with door in 4th bay. WARDS 3 AND 5: former measles and whooping cough pavilions. Identical. Sun lounges on returns. EAST ELEVATION: identical to ward 2. WEST ELEVATION: 11-bay ward pavilion. Cantilevered canopy removed. Tripartite window at centre with blue-tiled dividing piers, flanked by 4 windows and a door on outer bay. WARD 4: former scarlet fever pavilion. Identical to ward 1. BOILER HOUSE AND MORTUARY: single-storey. T-plan block with square brick chimney to rear. Original metal-framed windows survive. SOUTH ELEVATION: mortuary to left with stained glass circular window, and separate arched 2-leaf doorway on return. CHIMNEY: square-section tapering yellow brick, with flared red brick top. On east and west staggered. Clasping shallow buttresses with concrete copes. Later banding towards base and at top, LAUNDRY BLOCK: single block on gently sloping site. Long ridge ventilator over central section. Original metal-framed windows survive. SOUTH ELEVATION: centre 9-bay advanced, symmetrical block with small single windows flanking central, recessed 7 bays with large windows divided by brick piers. Central block flanked by 4-bay wings with asymmetrical fenestration comprising 3 broad windows with a single square window on outer flank. Wing to west lower. Low, recessed, entrance bay to each end with 3 small windows on returns and canopy roof. PORTER'S LODGE AND WAITING ROOM: asymmetrical flat roofed gate lodge on gently sloping site, comprising 2-storey main block with single storey wing containing waiting room to rear. Brick base course on main block and curtain walls with prominent horizontal pointing. Small ventilation grills above 1st floor lintel level on main block. WEST ELEVATION: 2-bay, with canopied door at far right flanked by shallow brick screen on inside, small single window on ground floor at far left. Stair window to left carried over in bipartite landing window on 1st floor. SOUTH ELEVATION: single bay, 2-storey block flanked by 3-bay single storey wing. Brick base-course to main block extended to left in curtain wall, capped by unusual tubular steel, art-deco railings. Tripartite window at ground floor and at 1st floor, bipartite angle window to right with blue tiled corner pier. Wing comprises tripartite part-glazed porch with central door, later glazing inserted: 3 dividing pillars, blue tiled with yellow tiled heads. Flat roof over-sailing to form canopy. Terrace to front of porch reached by steps to left with brick facing wall formerly capped by similar art-deco railings, now replaced by modern rails and ramp added in front. COTTAGES: 4 cottages built for male staff, in symmetrical block, comprising central 2-storey, square semi-detached cottages flanked by 2 single storey cottages in projecting wings. Coped chimney stacks on central block. SOUTH ELEVATION: central 2-storey block with low pitch piended roof and central squat chimney stack, centred pair of windows to ground at 1st floor with small ventilation grill above 1st floor windows and canopied doors in re-entrant. Flat roofed, single storey cottages with central canopied door with shallow brick screen on outer flank. Doorway flanked by single windows with ventilation grill above. SIDE ELEVATION: handed, central block 2 windows to rear side and advanced chimney stack to front side, breaking through cope. Wings have single window to rear side.
Demolition and replacement of ward blocks, mortuary and boiler house following redevelopment of site (2021).
Statement of Interest
Paisley Burgh Council acquired the site on the Hawkhead estate for the new infectious diseases hopital in 1932. A competition was held for the design which was awarded to Sir John Burnet, Tait and Lorne. In 1933, the firm's Royal Masonic Hospital at Ravenscourt in London was newly completed, to international acclaim. Tait further explored this style at Hawkhead and included this pioneering cubicle isolation block, a new development in ward design in which different types of infectious disease could be treated within the same ward for the first time. The Hospital was officially opened on 7 July 1936, and provided 181 beds for patients together with staff accommodation. The external finish to the buildings was originally "Brizolit", a finer textured rough cast designed not to crack or craze. Photographs of the buildings published in the booklet to accompany the official opening show that the blocks were bright and white originally, this was set off by the turqoise, green, yellow and black tile-work.
Minor update to listed building record (2021).
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