Description

Paul Waterhouse, 1923-9; completed by Michael Waterhouse; side porches infilled 2000. Monumental classical, temple-fronted University Graduation Hall with Art Deco detail. Swagged urns by Alexander Carrick. Polished and dressed ashlar, contrasting Portland stone and Cullalo stone. Channelled, pilastered 3-part porch with Art Deco-detailed frieze surmounted by

4 swagged urns; 4-storey temple centrepiece with giant order piers and heavy pediment with acroteria at apex and outer angles. Architect's mark to SE angle (see Notes). Deep moulded base course, cill and band courses, and eaves cornice; segmental-headed opening; keystones; some architraved surrounds; stone transoms and mullions.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 11-bay elevation. Broad, slightly advanced, 3-part, single storey porch to centre with steps up to 2-leaf panelled timber doors, decoratively-astragalled fanlights and small flanking outer lights, deep frieze above with incised commemorative panels 'JC IRVINE PRINCIPAL', 'HAIG FM CHANCELLOR 4 NOV 1926' and 'F NANSEN RECTOR'; 3 windows each to recessed 1st and 2nd floors, those to 2nd floor with flanking and dividing piers extending to temple front above and forming colonnade with decorative ironwork railings and composite capitalled pilasters to further recessed face. Low stair towers flanking centre, each with full-height transomed window, panelled apron and bellflower-detailed hoodmould, and further stair windows to inner returns bowed to meet recessed face of 1st floor, set-back 3-storey bays, adjoining (but lower than) temple front with window to each floor. Pantiled, pyramidally-roofed, 3-bay, 2-storey outer pavilions each with regular fenestration, centre bay to ground with decoratively consoled cornice and pediment, that to 1st floor with architrave and Greek key detail to blocking course above.

W ELEVATION: blocky, tiered elevation. Centre bay with infilled porch of 3 keystoned segmental arches with decorative fanlights (outer arches blocked) and dividing pilasters giving way to stone balustrade. Broad 2-leaf panelled timber door and further doors on returns, and segmental-headed window on outer left return; 3 windows to recessed face above. 2-storey bay with pedimented door below window to right and 2 recessed bays beyond to right; dominant 2-storey, 3-bay block to outer right with regular fenestration.

2 windows in bays to left of centre with 2 tall windows above, and further window to each floor of bay beyond (all decoratively astragalled), slightly advanced bay beyond to left with pedimented door below window, and tall light high up to outer left. Taller recessed face of 'temple' to centre with 5 lunettes, and 2 lights to advanced stair tower to outer right. Square-section, domed, timber belfry with louvered roundels to centre of roof ridge.

E ELEVATION: mirrors W elevation.

N ELEVATION: 3-storey and raised basement with 3 windows to each floor of advanced centre bay, that to centre at 1st floor with consoled cornice and pediment. Set-back flanking bays with window to each floor and further recessed, lower outer bays with window to basement and tall light above.

Margined and decoratively-astragalled glazing patterns to metal-framed windows. Grey slates and pantiles. Coped ashlar stacks and ashlar-coped skews; cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

INTERIOR: porch with glazed decoratively-astragalled domes; grey and green marble lined vestibule with pilasters and flanking staircases with decorative ironwork railings and timber banisters, upper floors with glazed ceramic dadoes. Rooms flanking vestibule with carved timber fire surrounds and classical plasterwork overmantels; Harpsichord room and practice room opposite with vaulted bowed ends and niches flanking segmental-headed windows. 1st floor landing with wide vaulted recess and fitted timber bench, smaller flanking recesses. Galleried graduation hall with square piers to ground supporting 1st floor panelled gallery with Ionic columns and dentilled cornice below lunettes to E and W, further upper gallery to S: timber

panelled surround to stage with pipe organ to N wall; basket-arched proscenium.

Statement of Interest

Alfred Waterhouse was married to a daughter of the Younger family who gifted the hall to St Andrews University. The SE return of the ground floor cill course is detailed with the initials 'PW' and a house in a boat on the

water. The building was completed by Michael Waterhouse after Paul Waterhouse's death in 1924.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17804322

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]