1 April 2009: Marischal College, Aberdeen

Marischal College was founded in 1593 by the 4th Earl Marischal on the site of a Franciscan Friary, becoming the second university in Aberdeen after the foundation of King's College in 1495 by Bishop William Elphinstone.  The two universities were eventually united in 1860 as the University of Aberdeen.

The extension to Marischal College pictured here was the work of Alexander Marshall Mackenzie and was built between 1895 and 1906. It remains the second largest granite building in the world, after the Escorial Palace outside Madrid.

The façade of Marischal has been described as 'granite wedding cake', and was designed in a Neo-Gothic style with a great deal of ornate detail, including a lacework of spirelets, each topped with a gilt flag.

Alexander Marshall Mackenzie had worked for the renowned architect David Bryce before setting up in practice in 1870. In the 1890s he became one of Aberdeen's outstanding architects, and the facade to Marischal College is regarded as his masterpiece.

Plans are currently underway to redevelop the building as Aberdeen City Council's new corporate headquarters.