Basic Site Details

Name: Head Office of the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd
Town, district or village: Perth
City or county: Perthshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: B listed
Grid ref:
Notes: This building is at present in course of erection on the site of the old post-office at the corner of High- street and Tay-street. The principal elevations are being built of yellow freestone from Woodburn Quarry, Cumberland, with polished Aberdeen Corrinnie granite doorways, and red stone columns in the colonnade of the second floor. Internally the walls of the principal office will be lined with marble and finished in wainscot. The staircase will also be of marble and wainscot, while the general manager's room and the boardrooms will be panelled in fumigated mahogany. There is a basement floor extending under the whole area of the building, in which are situated the strong-rooms, store-rooms, boiler-rooms, and dynamo and storage battery for electric lighting. The level of this floor is under the flood-level of the River Tay, and it has therefore been specially constructed to be watertight, to withstand the very heavy floods which are so frequent in this river. The principal department on the ground floor will have desk accommodation for about 80 clerks, with public space and counter; and the department on the second floor accommodation for about 40 clerks. The architect is Mr George P K Young, ARIBA, of Perth. The drawing which we give was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy this year at Edinburgh. [Building News 15 December 1899 p801]

Sculptor William Shirreffs.

James Parr & Partners received a Civic Trust Award for their work in 1966.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1Council ChambersYes 

Building Type Classification

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

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 22, High StreetYes 
Item 2 of 2Tay StreetYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 518981901 High Street frontage extended by 2 bays and made symmetrical
Item 2 of 519321934 Extensions
Item 3 of 51955 Alterations and additionsLarge additions - steel frame, masonry faced, 6-storey (80 foot frontage and 70 foot depth)
Item 4 of 51963 Alteration/conversionAlterstions and additions - cost £250,000
Item 5 of 51969 Alteration/conversionFurther work - cost £500,000

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 18David Matheson Cuthbert A18981901As assistant to George Penrose Kennedy Young - High Street frontage extended by 2 bays and made symmetrical
Item 2 of 18David Thomson A18981901As assistant to George Penrose Kennedy Young - High Street frontage extended by 2 bays and made symmetrical
Item 3 of 18George Penrose Kennedy Young A18981901High Street frontage extended by 2 bays and made symmetrical
Item 4 of 18G P K Young & Son B19321934Extensions
Item 5 of 18Graham Conacher Young B19321934Extensions
Item 6 of 18G P K Young & Son K1955 Large additions to insurance office
Item 7 of 18Graham Conacher Young K1955 Large additions to insurance office
Item 8 of 18Kenneth Mathison Young K1955 Large additions to insurance office
Item 9 of 18Allan Fraser Bell C1963 Additions and alterations - cost £250,000
Item 10 of 18Gordon McQuattie Farquharson C1963 Additions and alterations - cost £250,000
Item 11 of 18James Parr & Partners C1963 Additions and alterations - cost £250,000
Item 12 of 18James Reginald Parr C1963 Additions and alterations - cost £250,000
Item 13 of 18Joseph Frank Wynne C1963 Additions and alterations - cost £250,000
Item 14 of 18Allan Fraser Bell A1969 Further alterations - cost £500,000
Item 15 of 18Gordon McQuattie Farquharson A1969 Further alterations - cost £500,000
Item 16 of 18Joseph Frank Wynne A1969 Further alterations - cost £500,000. Perhaps partner in charge?
Item 17 of 18James Parr & Partners D1969 Further alterations - cost £500,000
Item 18 of 18James Reginald Parr D1969 Further alterations - cost £500,000

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporation Ltd 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Academy Architecture1899 part 1 pp77, 104
Item 2 of 5Gifford, John2007The Buildings of Scotland: Perth and Kinross Yale University Pressp600
Item 3 of 5RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 4 of 5RSA1899   460
Item 5 of 5Who's Who in Architecture1923    

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4BuilderJuly 1901  p63 with extensive note
Item 2 of 4Building News15 December 1899  p801 and illustration
Item 3 of 4RIAS Quarterly2013Issue 14, SummerRoyal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)p79 Obituary of Wynne
Item 4 of 4RIBA Journal9 December 1933v41London: Royal Institute of British Architectsp153 - obituary of G P K Young

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register39469 
Item 2 of 3National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSGPK Young newscutting file (copy of file comp. Mrs Elsie Young, Union Mount, Glasgow Rd, Perth)  
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers David Matheson Cuthbert: L v17 no 1213; David Thomson: L v10 no556 (microfilm reel 32); Graham Conacher Young: F no3698 (box 27); George P K Young: A v9 no1541 (microfiche 36/A7); Kenneth Mathison Young: F no5014 (Combined Box 56)