A civic centrepiece for a Scottish fishing port town
Fraserburgh Town Hall / Faithlie Centre
‘The creation of the Faithlie Centre has been handled with skill and attention to detail, fulfilling and exceeding the Council’s expectations in a manner that appropriately combines yet subtly distinguishes between the civic and quotidian functions of the client.’
David McClean, RIBA Journal
Designed in the 1850’s, Fraserburgh Town House is a crucial anchor within the town’s Conservation Area. To increase capacity, it has been sensitively restored and expanded into the adjacent former police station. A new contemporary Corten steel clad extension binds the two buildings together and provides an accessible, welcoming front of house for council services, with improved vertical and horizontal circulation throughout.
Due to the harsh maritime environment, over the years, the Town House’s original statuary, domed rotunda and sandstone exterior had lost definition. Alongside conservation architect Alan S Marshall, we worked to conserve and restore these elements using matching stone from Spynie Quarry in Elgin.
Internally, original lincrusta wall fabrics have been repaired, or stripped back to the masonry where beyond salvage, while new and restored crisp white interior linings emphasise the delicacy of external mouldings.
‘It will inspire the community to see assets in a new way and provides confidence to residents and investors in the town and the town centre that Fraserburgh can punch above its weight.’
Jim Savege, Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council
The materiality and bold rectilinear form of the new extension is visually distinct, responding directly to the harbour area, and complementing Fraserburgh’s sheer sided fish processing sheds and the handsome masonry architecture of its 19th century heyday. Ground floor glazing gives glimpses of activity and the original stonework within, layering reflection, shadow and light.
The project reinvigorates the town centre, setting an example in the conservation and re-use of civic buildings.
