in Aberdeen Doors Open Days
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Doors Open Days is a Scotland-wide initiative providing free access to buildings not normally open to the public. It is intended to promote architecture and heritage sites to a wider audience. It provides an opportunity to discover hidden architectural gems and to see behind doors that are rarely open to the public.
In 2023 Doors Open Days in Aberdeen were on 2 and 3 September. A group of members of the Royal Photographic Society in north east Scotland photographed in three participating buildings: Trinity Hall, Bon Accord Baths and Maggie’s Centre. Two members also went on to visit Freemasons’ Hall and the Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust.
Trinity Hall is the hub from which the daily life of the Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen revolves. From the outside the imposing building, on the corner of Great Western Road and Holburn Street, is a tribute to its creation in the 20th century. Step inside and the historic roots of the organisation are clear for all to see.
Bon Accord Baths is a listed Art Deco swimming pool located in the centre of Aberdeen. It was opened in 1940 and closed in 2008. A community group has been set up with the aim of re-opening the historic building on Justice Mill Lane. It is one of the few remaining pools of its type in the country
Maggie's centres are a network of drop-in centres across the United Kingdom which aim to help anyone who has been affected by cancer. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring environment that can provide support, information and practical advice. They are located near, but are detached from, existing NHS hospitals. The Aberdeen centre was built at Foresterhill in 2013. It's a white building in the shape of a pebble or shell and offers warmth and a feeling of safety and protection to all its visitors.
Freemasons’ Hall in Crown Street is a purpose-built Masonic building. It was completed in 1910 and is a listed building both in and out. The archives and artefacts it contains date from the late 17th century.
The Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust was established in 2007 to take over the remaining building and turntable of the former Ferryhill locomotive depot, restore it and transform the site into a working railway heritage site for the North East of Scotland.
The photographers would like to thank those who opened their buildings and gave us the opportunity to photograph places which we might otherwise not have seen.