37 Bank Street, Kilmarnock, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire

Description

Gabriel Andrew of Andrew & Newlands, 1902. Built for Johnny Walker and Sons. 2-storey, 4- and 2-bay Freestyle corner building. Dressed Ballochmyle ashlar facades to principal elevation and side, yellow stock brick to rear elevations. Deep projecting base course; transomed and mullioned windows.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: entrance door to 3rd bay: hybrid ancon pilasters with caryatid bust caps, open-bed segmental pediment surmounting housing rectangular single pane fanlight, 2-leaf panelled doors. To 1st, 2nd and 4th ground floor bays arched door openings with prominent architraved keystone and alternate rounded and columned quoins resting on high base course, central glazed door with arching panel to flanks, at 4th bay 3-pane semi-circular window surmounting, timber in-fill to other bays. Sill courses to 1st floor windows: to outer bays tripartite window within Venetian architraved frame; arched gables with arched stone kneelers above, attached central stone shaft with ball finials now missing; tripartite window to 2nd bay, bipartite window to 3rd bay. Projecting moulded cornice adjoining arched gables.

SW ELEVATION: ground floor arched door surround to left with prominent architraved keystone and alternate rounded and columned quoins resting on high base course, central glazed door with arching panel to flanks, 3-pane semi-circular window surmounting; single window to far right. Band course forming sills of 1st floor windows: tripartite window to left within Venetian architraved frame leading to arched gable with arched stone kneelers, attached central stone shaft terminating in ball finial; single window to far right. Projecting moulded cornice to rest of elevation.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: partially adjoining rear of premises on John Finnie Street (listed separately) to SW.

NE ELEVATION: long and short quoins of red ashlar elevation in-built into left of blind yellow brick gable end, red brick stack.

Single plate glass panes to lower lights of rectangular timber widows, 3 narrow panes to upper lights; slightly arched panes to flanks of newer timber and glazing doors, 3-pane timber window above outer doors. Piended grey slate roof with later terracotta ridge tiles, aluminium flashing and valleys. Cast-iron rainwater goods, painted to resemble Ballochmyle stone, gutters concealed behind ornate cornice. Red brick wallhead stack between bays of SW elevation, single can with later ventilator surmounting; tall red brick stack with 2 pain cans to NW adjoining wider stack of John Finnie Street building; lower longer stack with no surviving cans to NE, further low slightly swept stack to rear of building.

INTERIOR: stone entrance step leading to inner hall and staircase. 1st floor offices with early 20th century details to woodwork, surrounds and some cornicing. Ground floor latterly refurbished to provide 2 coffee- houses and an office, windows breached to form doors in each bay of the principal elevation and large arched bay of SW elevation.

Statement of Interest

Part of a B-Group with Laigh Kirk, Kirkyard and Bank Street. The street is one of the older streets within the town. Although developed in the 18th century from the Kirkshaugh, retail and residential buildings occurred primarily in the mid-19th century. No. 37 is built on a prominent site at the corners of Bank and Nelson Street. Andrew was part of a successful local architectural practice with William Newlands; located, at the time he designed this building, in 84 Portland Street. Andrew was a well-established architect, before this partnership, with many commercial commissions under his belt including the Whisky Bonds and office complex in Croft Street and Strand Street for Johnny Walker and Sons. Interestingly, Andrew's own earlier practice (circa 1901) worked from an office within the Walker offices in Croft Street, which he designed. Andrew and Newlands' practice had moved here by early 1904. Again, No. 37 Bank Street was designed primarily as offices for Walker and Sons, yet again Gabriel Andrew moved into the premises. He remained here after the partnership with Newlands broke up. Andrew then went into partnership with his son after 1910. The building remains a good stylistic example of Andrew's work with the trademark gables, windows and band courses. The windows on the ground floor of the principal elevation have been altered to provide entrances for the latterly subdivided interior, which now houses (2001) 2 coffee houses and an insurance agent. The relatively unaltered 1st floor is still accessed by the elaborate front door.

External Links

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