Coatbridge Municipal Buildings
{{short description|Municipal building in Coatbridge, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Coatbridge Municipal Buildings
| native_name =
| image = File:Coatbridge Municipal Buildings.jpg
| caption= Coatbridge Municipal Buildings
| locmapin =Scotland North Lanarkshire
| map_caption =Shown in North Lanarkshire
| coordinates ={{coord|55.8637|N|4.0217|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| location = Dunbeth Road, Coatbridge
| area =
| built =1894
| architect = Alexander McGregor Mitchell
| architecture =Renaissance style
| designation1 =Category B Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Dunbeth Road, Municipal Buildings, Including Boundary Walls, Railings, Gatepiers And Gates
| designation1_date =19 April 1993
| designation1_number = LB23016
| website=
}}
Coatbridge Municipal Buildings, formerly Coatbridge Town Hall, is a municipal building in Dunbeth Road, Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The building, which was the headquarters of Coatbridge Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB23016|desc= Dunbeth Road, Municipal Buildings, Including Boundary Walls, Railings, Gatepiers And Gates |access-date=28 March 2021}}
History
Following significant population growth in the late 19th century, particularly in the iron trade,{{cite web|url= https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/20231 |title=Coatbridge|publisher=Vision of Britain| access-date=28 March 2021}} the burgh council decided to procure a town hall: the site they selected had formed part of the grounds of Dunbeth House,{{cite web|url= https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/273179/665111/12/100235 |title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1861| access-date=28 March 2021}} the residence of William Weir, a close relative of the descendants of Alexander Baird who had founded William Baird & Co Ltd, iron founders, in Gartsherrie.{{cite web|url=https://culturenl.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/North-Lanarkshire-Archives-List-of-Collections.pdf |title=Records of William Baird & Co Ltd, iron founders, Gartsherrie |page=64|publisher=North Lanarkshire Archives| access-date=28 March 2021}} Weir donated the land for the town hall to the burgh council.{{cite web|url=https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/LKS/Coatbridge |title=Coatbridge|publisher=Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland|year= 1886 |access-date=28 March 2021}}
The new building was designed by Alexander McGregor Mitchell in the Renaissance style, built in red sandstone ashlar and completed in 1894.{{cite web|url= http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=211293 |title= Coatbridge Municipal Buildings|publisher=Dictionary of Scottish Architects| access-date=28 March 2021}} The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing onto Dunbeth Road with the last three bays at each end slightly project forward; the left section, which was more elaborate than the other sections, originally featured a large portico with two pairs of Corinthian order columns supporting an entablature, a balustrade and two statues of lions; there was a bay window on the first floor and a pediment containing fine carvings in the tympanum.{{cite web|url=https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/item/town-hall-coatbridge/52993/viewer#?#viewer&c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=467%2C748%2C4494%2C1524 |title=Town Hall, Coatbridge|publisher=University of St Andrews| access-date=28 March 2021}}{{cite news|url= https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/old-coatbridge-2816715 |title=Old Coatbridge|newspaper=Daily Record|date=21 November 2013| access-date=28 March 2021}} The centre section featured a tall three-light window on the first floor and a shaped gable above. The right hand section featured a doorway flanked by pilasters in the first bay and a bay window flanked by statues in niches on the second floor with a shaped gable above. The statues, which depicted Justice and Vulcan, were sculpted by James Alexander Ewing{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=ewing_ja|title=James Alexander Ewing (1843-1900)|publisher=Glasgow Sculpture|access-date=28 March 2021}} and James Charles Young respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biography.php?sub=young_jc|title=James Charles Young (1839-1923)|publisher=Glasgow Sculpture|access-date=28 March 2021}} Internally, the principal rooms were the council chamber and the main assembly hall, which contained an organ with four manuals and 55 stops, the latter of which had been designed and manufactured by Henry Willis & Sons.{{cite web|url= https://www.organ-biography.info/organs.php?id=1SSY.l3Nv.BVn9 |title= Details of Town Hall, Coatbridge, Scotland|publisher= Biographical Dictionary of the Organ| access-date=28 March 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12620200.original-willis/|title=Original Willis|date=23 February 1993|newspaper=Herald Scotland|access-date=28 March 2021}}
The main assembly hall hosted many concerts by leading performers including the Bee Gees on 28 October 1967.{{cite web |url=http://www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/oct1967.htm?LMCL=J8D6bN%3C |title=October 1967 |author= |date=December 2010 |website=Marmalade Skies |access-date=26 December 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201226075212/http://www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/oct1967.htm?LMCL=J8D6bN%3C |archive-date=26 December 2020 |url-status=live }} However, the building was badly damaged in a fire later that year.{{cite web|url=https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/7814|title=Fire at Coatbridge Town Hall|publisher=National Library of Scotland| access-date=28 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-534-737-C|title=Coatbridge Town Hall fire damage|publisher=Scran|access-date=28 March 2021}} The centre and right sections of the front elevation survived the fire unscathed but the more elaborate left hand section was completely destroyed: it was replaced in a sympathetic style to a design by Launcelot H. Ross & Lindsay with stonework which broadly mirrored the right hand section but without the doorway. On the Kildonan Street elevation, rather than replicating the original stonework, a modern structure was constructed with a new main entrance.
The building continued to serve as the headquarters of Coatbridge Burgh Council for much of the 20th century and, as Coatbridge Municipal Buildings, remained the local seat of government after the enlarged Monklands District Council was formed in 1975.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/65/contents|title=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=16 April 2020}} However, it ceased that role when North Lanarkshire Council was formed, with its headquarters at Motherwell, in 1996.{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/39/contents |title= Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994|publisher=Legislation.co.uk| access-date=28 March 2021}} North Lanarkshire Council continued to use the building for workspace for various departments including education{{cite web|url=https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/inspection-reports/reports-page/?id=5495 |title=North Lanarkshire Council inspection report|date=2 July 2018|publisher=Education Scotland| access-date=28 March 2021}} and social services.{{cite web|url= https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/directories/social-work-locality-offices/coatbridge-social-work-locality |title=Coatbridge Social Work Locality|publisher=North Lanarkshire Council| access-date=28 March 2021}} In March 2019 the council announced its intention, as part of a savings plan, to close the building and, in June 2020, it announced proposals to convert the building into 49 apartments at a cost of £11 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/plans-convert-coatbridge-municipal-buildings-22125239 |title= Plans to convert Coatbridge Municipal Buildings into new homes|date=4 June 2020|newspaper=Daily Record| access-date=28 March 2021}} Detailed design work was authorised in February 2021.{{cite web|url= https://scottishconstructionnow.com/article/building-briefs-february-18th-4 |title=Building Briefs|publisher=Scottish Construction Now|date=18 February 2021| access-date=28 March 2021}}