Description

William Williamson, 1926-8; 1966 tower not included in listing. 3-storey, 24-bay (grouped 3-18-3), austere classical style educational building with pyramidal-roofed corner towers to SE and SW, and generous fenestration. Ashlar with channelled quoins. Base course, ground and 2nd floor moulded cill courses and eaves course, with eaves cornice and stepped blocking course to towers. Architraved windows to towers.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 18 bays to centre with windows and dividing pilasters to ground and 1st floors; slightly set-back 2nd floor 'attic' with decorative railings and regular fenestration; stepped block pediment over 4 centre bays. Slightly advanced towers to outer bays, with 3 windows to each floor.

W (GOW CRESCENT) ELEVATION: 19-bay (grouped 3-12-1-3). Symmetrical fenestration to 12 centre bays, ground floor with channelled dividing piers. Slightly advance stair tower to right with wide (vehicular?) entrance to left and pedestrian door to right at ground, 10-part transomed and mullioned glazed wall above; advanced tower to outer right with 3 windows at ground; and 3 slightly advanced bays to outer left with 3 windows to each floor, blocking course and channelled quoin strips (mirrors tower to right).

E (CARLYLE ROAD) ELEVATION: originally mirror of W elevation but now with modern glazing to 2nd floor and link to 1966 tower to right.

N (SANG ROAD) ELEVATION: largely obscured by later building to N but piended towers visible to outer bays.

Vertical windows with 3-pane glazing, that to centre pivot opening.

INTERIOR: modern. Stair towers retain cast-iron balusters with timber handrails.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: low saddleback-coped ashlar boundary walls with inset railings.

Statement of Interest

Built as a technical school adjacent to Kirkcaldy High School, the original quadrangle was destined to enclose a single storey building which was only erected in 1957. The old High School was demolished in 1960, and replaced by the 9-storey block. Building was largely funded by a donation of ?40,000 from the local Miners Welfare trustees for the provision of evening classes; the first full-time apprenticeship course in engineering was introduced in 1945; the Ensigns Armorial was granted by the Lord Lyon, King of Arms on 10th January, 1967 and subsequently the school became a Technical College, with the first official opening ceremony on 11th October, 1968. The name was again changed in 1980 to College of Technology, and to Fife College of Technology in 1989 on the occasion of its Diamond Jubilee.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17807734

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)