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 | | |  | | |  | | | | | | Name:
David Roemmele
Building:
Former South of Scotland Central Technical College
Location:
Galashiels, Scotland
What is your relationship to this building?:
Originally opened, in 1908, as the South of Scotland Central Technical College building in Galashiels, this building became, from the mid 1920's on, the base for the world famous Scottish College of Textiles - later to become a faculty of Heriot Watt University. After moving to newer buildings in the 1960's the original buildings became the contact offices for the Inland Revenue and Employment Service. Therefore I have used, and continue to use this building as a place for advice for tax purposes and the like.
Why do you love this building?:
I first encountered this building and its secluded leafy river side gardens in the early 1980's as a young teenager. The imposing frontage of the building is the most eye catching aspect of this fine and historically important building. With its neo-classical frontage, advanced central bay with a marble colonnaded entrance portico this former college building is much admired, not just by me but by many others in the community of Galashiels and the central Scottish Borders. A high relief carving of the goddess Industria rests in the pediment over the portico. Constructed entirely from red sandstone, with a matching red sandstone gate lodge, this building was erected as a public symbol of all that was strong and confident about the Scottish tweed textile industry in the Edwardian years of the early 20th century. Built to last the exterior has weathered extremely well and the building should have a long and productive life. Likewise the interior, though subdivided into office space, retains many of the original fittings, for example a handsome fanlight over the entrance door, a fine staircase and carpentry. Having been used as Government offices for central government departments the building has been very well looked after - though as hinted at above the original construction work and materials used were of such fine quality that very little maintenance is required. This all makes it such a shame that Tesco want to demolish this building to make way for a newer and bigger supermarket.
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