Basic Site Details

Name: Aberdeen Municipal Buildings and Tolbooth
City or county: Aberdeen
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: A Listed
Grid ref:
Notes: 1895 competition assessed by William Young.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 3Aberdeen County and Municipal BuildingsYes 
Item 2 of 3Aberdeen Public BuildingsYes 
Item 3 of 3CourthouseYes 

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Municipal building  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 32, Broad StreetYes 
Item 2 of 3Castle StreetYes 
Item 3 of 3CastlegateYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 141862  First five schemes, including extending courthouse of 1820 and central towered scheme
Item 2 of 141863  Octagonal towered scheme and final scheme with square corner tower
Item 3 of 141867  Working drawings for final scheme
Item 4 of 1423 February 1871  Municipal buildings opened
Item 5 of 141873  Courthouse opened
Item 6 of 141895 Journal referenceCompetition for reconstruction; unclear whether any of the work was carried out
Item 7 of 14After 1924Before 1930 Extensions
Item 8 of 14c. 1930  Alterations
Item 9 of 1412 July 1957 Plans prepared, construction not yet begun'plans approved by TC for municipal offices at Broad Street. Estimated cost ₤775,000' per Builder p87
Item 10 of 1416 January 1959 Proposed'£750,000 municipal office development at Broad-st. First stage includes a five-storey granite block and...widening of the eastern entry to Broad-st.' per Builder p165
Item 11 of 141962 AdditionTower block addition plannned.
Item 12 of 1413 March 1964 * Scheme acceptedPlans for new Broad St municipal buildings approved by Lord Provost's Committee, costing £2m - work to begin in early 1965, being completed in three years
Item 13 of 14c. 1965 AdditionTower block addition begun
Item 14 of 141972 AdditionExtension to Town House

* earliest date known from documented sources.

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 20James MatthewsArchitect 1862 Competition design for court house - not successful
Item 2 of 20Charles George Hood KinnearArchitectA18621873Won in competition
Item 3 of 20John Dick PeddieArchitectA18621873Won in competition
Item 4 of 20Peddie & KinnearArchitectural practiceA18621873Won in competition
Item 5 of 20J & W SmithArchitectural practiceB1862 Competition design for court house by William Smith II - not successful
Item 6 of 20William Smith IIArchitectB1862 Competition design for court house - not successful
Item 7 of 20James SouttarArchitect 1895 First premiated design in competition for reconstruction (£50 premium); unclear whether any of the work was carried out
Item 8 of 20Alexander Marshall MackenzieArchitectC1895 Second premiated design in competition for reconstruction (£20 premium)
Item 9 of 20Matthews & MackenzieArchitectural practiceC1895 Second premiated design in competition for reconstruction (£20 premium)
Item 10 of 20Aberdeen City Architect's Department (later City of Aberdeen District Council Architects Division)Architectural practiceDAfter 1924Before 1930Extensions - Alexander Buchanan Gardner as City Architect
Item 11 of 20Alexander Buchanan GardnerArchitectDAfter 1924Before 1930Extensions - as City Architect
Item 12 of 20George Angus MitchellArchitectEc. 1930 Alterations
Item 13 of 20George Bennett MitchellArchitectEc. 1930 Alterations
Item 14 of 20George Bennett Mitchell & SonArchitectural practiceEc. 1930 Alterations
Item 15 of 20George McIntosh KeithArchitect 12 July 1957 as City Architect, per Builder p44
Item 16 of 20Aberdeen City Architect's Department (later City of Aberdeen District Council Architects Division)Architectural practiceFc. 1965 Tower block addition - with George M Keith as City Architect.
Item 17 of 20George McIntosh KeithArchitectFc. 1965 Tower block added to existing buildings
Item 18 of 20Aberdeen City Architect's Department (later City of Aberdeen District Council Architects Division)Architectural practiceG1975 Extension to Town House
Item 19 of 20Thomas ('Tom') Campbell WatsonArchitectG1975 Extension to Town House
Item 20 of 20The Kennedy Partnership H1991 Light well between courts covered by space frame

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 7Brogden, W A1998Aberdeen: an illustrated architectural guideSecond editionEdinburgh: The Rutland Pressp24
Item 2 of 7Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture  pp446, 550
Item 3 of 7Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture  p550
Item 4 of 7Harper, Roger H1983Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions… London: Mansell Publishing 
Item 5 of 7MacInnes, Ranald1992The Aberdeen guide  p53
Item 6 of 7RSA1864   172
Item 7 of 7Sharples, J, Walker, D W and Woodworth, M2015The Buildings of Scotland: Aberdeenshire South and Aberdeen London and New Haven: Yale University Presspp138-139

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 15Aberdeen Journal5 November 1862   
Item 2 of 15Aberdeen Journal10 June 1863   
Item 3 of 15Builder26 September 1863XXI  
Item 4 of 15Builder2 December 1866XXIV  
Item 5 of 15Builder8 June 1868XXVI  
Item 6 of 15BuilderLate 1895LXIX pp153, 222 & 420
Item 7 of 15BuilderEarly 1896LXX p257
Item 8 of 15BuilderLate 1896LXXI p101
Item 9 of 15Builder12 July 1957  p87
Item 10 of 15Builder16 January 1959  p165
Item 11 of 15Builder13 March 1964  p580
Item 12 of 15Building News30 January 1863   
Item 13 of 15Building News19 June 1863   
Item 14 of 15Building News1 December 1865   
Item 15 of 15Building News27 June 1868   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 4Aberdeen City ArchivesGeorge Bennett Mitchell and Son Collection GBM/1930/45/1
Item 2 of 4Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register19990 
Item 3 of 4National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSDick Peddie and McKay Collection DPM/1860/25/6
Item 4 of 4RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers Alexander Buchanan Gardner: L no3704 (box 15)