Basic Site Details

Name: Greenock Municipal Buildings
Town, district or village: Greenock
City or county: Renfrewshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Competition assessed by Charles Barry Junior. Cost: £80,000.

The municipal buildings are situated in the neighbourhood of Cathcart-square and Dalrymple-street, and include a new town-hall and all other rooms required. A tower will rise from the hall 215ft. above street level, and while space and comfort required for business have been provided for, the furnishings of the hall and suite will be artistic and elaborate. The police department on the east side of the town-hall will have every accommodation. The block of the buildings facing Hamilton-street will have a handsome suite of apartments for all municipal meetings, besides many other rooms and offices. These will be on the upper floors, and the ground floor will bo occupied by handsome shops. There will be a piazza running alone; in front of the shops, with pillars of polished red granite. In the portion of tho buildings facing Taylor's-close and Wallace- square, there will be the Chamberlain's office and other offices in connection with the Rates-hall. The buildings are being contracted for in three sections. The principal works of two of these have been let, but the third section, - which will comprise the Rates-hall and Harbour Trust offices, is not so far advanced.[Building News 12 August 1881 Page 196-197]

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 3Cathcart Square  
Item 2 of 3Dalrymple Street  
Item 3 of 3Hamilton Street  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 41879 Competition held 
Item 2 of 41881 Start date 
Item 3 of 4Before 1945  Reconstruction
Item 4 of 410 July 1953 * RestorationPlans in hand for scheme of reconstruction

* 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 10Beatson Habershon  1879 Second premiated competition design
Item 2 of 10Malcolm Stark  1879 Unsuccessful competition design
Item 3 of 10David Barclay A18791880Won competition and secured job
Item 4 of 10H & D Barclay A18791880Won competition and secured job
Item 5 of 10Hugh Barclay A18791880Won competition and secured job
Item 6 of 10James Aitken B1879 Third premiated competition design
Item 7 of 10Moffatt & Aitken (or Moffat & Aitken) B1879 Third premiated competition design
Item 8 of 10William Lambie Moffatt (originally William Lambie Moffat) B1879 Third premiated competition design
Item 9 of 10John Tonner  Before 1945 Reconstruction - as principal architect
Item 10 of 10Crawford & Neil  10 July 1953 * Reconstruction

* earliest date known from documented sources.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Academy Architecture1894   p75 (H & D Barclay)
Item 2 of 6Academy Architecture1895   p60 (H & D Barclay)
Item 3 of 6Cunningham, Colin1981Victorian and Edwardian Town Halls London: Routledge & Kegan PaulAppendix II: Competition Statistics
Item 4 of 6Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts1880   579 (Malcolm Stark)
Item 5 of 6Harper, Roger H1983Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions… London: Mansell Publishing 
Item 6 of 6Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew  p118

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4British ArchitectNovember 1889  Check date
Item 2 of 4Builder1879XXVII pp263, 522, 695, 899, 923, 977, 1034, 1089 & 1116
Item 3 of 4Builder10 July 1953  p80
Item 4 of 4Building News12 August 1881  p196-197

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 2Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register34122 
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers David Barclay: F v6 p58; microfiche 94/F6; John Tonner: L no5736 (combined box 97)