Pencil, ink and watercolour on paper, c.1929
Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976)
RCAHMS: Sir Basil Spence Archive
King’s College, named for King James IV, was founded in 1495 as a seat of learning to train scholars, teachers, priests, lawyers and doctors in northern Scotland. The college now forms part of the University of Aberdeen.
The college buildings were constructed about 1498-1505, arranged around a quadrangle. The Chapel and Ivy Tower are the only original parts to survive. The layout also originally included additional facilities for college life, such as living accommodation, a kitchen, brewery, water well, and vegetable garden.
This image was drawn by the architect Sir Basil Spence whilst he was the Pugin Travelling Student c.1929. The Pugin Studentship was established as a memorial to the architect and designer Augustus Pugin after his death in 1852 and was awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects.