Description

John Cooper, City Engineer, 1899. Rectangular-plan former coal-fired power generating station with Italian Renaissance basilica elevation to McDonald Road; two-storey southern section of offices pavilion and former printing works adjoining towering brick stack. Variegated brick with cream stugged ashlar elevation (painted and badly spalling); bull-blocks to southeast angle of elevation.

Southwest (Mcdonald Road) Elevation: four symmetrical bays to outer right of range. Moulded base course; cornice over ground floor; cill course; bracketted cornice; coped parapet. four segmental-arched and keystoned blind openings to plinth. four round-arched openings at principal storey with slim pilasters flanking and pediments above (round-headed in outer bays); giant pilasters dividing bays; two centre bays breaking eaves in pediment; blind oculi set in round-headed panels.

Southeast Elevation: exposed steel frame with brick infill forming ten bays. Single storey addition to left. Blind round-arched opening and cornice to outer left. Vehicle access with modern steel roller doors at centre. Five large ventilation openings with timber shutters; nine metal fins at eaves.

Northeast (Rear) Elevation: Three-bay gabled. Brick pilasters. Blind oculus set in gablehead. Grey slate roof (original roof lights removed).

Interior: glazed brick walls; open steel lattice roof; short section of original cast-iron gallery; gantry on rails; modern breeze block additions; no original machinery.

Printing Works and Offices: The outer right section of the two-storey former offices pavilion survives and features a pedimented doorway with flanking pilasters (gable removed or not built). Large round-arched windows in gabled bays are present in the surviving rear portion of the building (northeast) elevation.

Stack: square base rising through printing works; polygonal red brick chimney stalk, ribbed angles with three varying stages of decorative blind arcading towards top; cornice and coping.

Statement of Interest

Originally designed as an electric lighting station, used as a tramway power station and now in use as a switching station.

A two-storey printing works and offices range to McDonald Road was designed as a symmetrical palace block with advanced central and terminal pavilions, it featured predominantly 18-pane glazing windows and a louvred cupola behind the central range. The northwest section of the office range fronting McDonald Road was demolished around 2001 and only the right (south-eastern) section survives today. The rear portion of the print works building was retained and refurbished into offices. A modern office building was built on the site of the former northwest range at 95 McDonald Road in the early 21st century, this is a separate structure which does not form part of this listing.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17810405

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

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5