Planning permission has successfully been awarded for an inventive reconfiguration of two historic civic buildings in the Aberdeenshire town of Fraserburgh, designed by Moxon Architects and conservation architect Alan Marshall. The designs form part of Aberdeenshire Council’s Fraserburgh 2021 regeneration project, which recently secured final funding to progress.

The Town House at 1-3 Saltoun Chambers – which houses the council chambers – will be sensitively restored and combined with the adjacent former Police Station to create welcoming front-of-house facilities for Aberdeenshire Council. In doing so, the project will create a significant public asset in a key location in the town centre at the junction of Saltoun Square and Kirk Brae. It will also enhance the North Braeheads area to the rear through the creation of new public realm.

Designed in 1853 by architect Thomas Mackenzie, the Town House is Category B-listed and is particularly notable for its Corinthian domed rotunda. The granite police station was added in 1906 and was designed to match the style of its sandstone neighbour. It is currently unused and both buildings are in need of repair.

Moxon’s design proposes a slender, rear extension to provide a new circulatory system for both properties that reconciles differences in level between the two. This advanced weathering steel-framed addition will be invisible from the front of the building and will step down from three to two storeys to maintain clear views of the rotunda from North Braeheads to the rear. It will be clad in areas of opaque and perforated advanced weathering steel rainscreen as well as large format frameless glazing.

Ben Addy of Moxon Architects said “The extension will efficiently and sensitively link both properties to provide a welcoming and elegant public face for the council. The robust design is conceived as a largely permeable structure set against the massive construction typology of the existing historic buildings.”

Non-original features at the rear will be demolished to make way for the extension, which will also accommodate meeting rooms for public and council use. The layouts of both buildings will be modified to suit the new combined premises with principle routes between the entrances, council chamber and council services passing through the new extension. Level thresholds and generous internal circulation will enhance accessibility.

Externally, landscaping of the public realm on North Braehead will significantly improve this neglected part of the town to provide an attractive route from the civic centre to the busy port.

The overall development will be funded by HES (Historic Environment Scotland), HLF (Heritage Lottery Fund), SGRCGF, (Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund) and Aberdeenshire Council.

Ends.

For more press information on Moxon Architects please contact: Jemma Gray  and Jodi Smith at Caro Communications

T: +44 (0) 20 7713 9388

E: jemma@carocommunications.com / jodi@carocommunications.com

Notes to Editors

About Moxon Architects

Based in London and Aberdeenshire, Moxon Architects has built up a broad portfolio spanning the design of workplaces, offices, housing, masterplans, bridges and special structures. Established in 2004, the practice has a varied client base across the commercial, private domestic and local authority sectors. It strives to produce work with a long term appeal that is economically responsible, environmentally appropriate and spatially elegant. Current clients include the Royal Parks Foundation, Transport for London, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Argent.

About Fraserburgh 2021

Aberdeenshire Council’s £5.7 million Fraserburgh 2021 project aims to support the regeneration of the town’s built heritage. For more information please click here.