"The Russell Institute"

Today's blip comes from Paisley.
The Russell Institute was donated by Miss Agnes Russell to the Burgh of Paisley on 19 March 1927. The building was built as a memorial to her two brothers Thomas Russell and Robert Russell, who had died in 1913 and 1920 respectively. The building was completed during 1926/1927. it is protected as an A listed building.
The building was to be used as a clinic for the welfare of the children of the County of Renfrew and the Burgh of Paisley. Miss Agnes Russell had placed no financial restrictions on the building, and as a befitted a monumental memorial as well as a functional building, wanted a design away from everyday architecture. The site chosen for Russell Institute was a prominent one at the corner of New Street and Causeyside Street. It was then occupied by shops and the old tenement property, much of it in poor condition . Although the reluctance of some of the tenants to move e.g. Rag Merchant Bailie Brown - "Doo Brown" - caused frustrating delay work began about 1924.
The Russell Institute made architectural history having the first skeleton fabric of reinforced concrete in the West of Scotland. It was clad in Blaxter Freestone from the Borders, on a base of black Aberdeen granite. The windows arranged to give the maximum amount of natural light without distracting from the overall external appearance have quite imperishable bronze frames. Above the large window is the massive bronze figure of a protective angel guarding the young generation in its arms with the motto A DEO SALUS "Health comes from God This wording carved in the stone work. Around the building at lower level are smaller figures in bronze each indicating a particular aspect of the work carried out in the building, e.g. Dentistry, Eye ailments.
The building was completed in 1926-27, but the total cost of the project was never revealed.
The formal opening ceremony was performed by H.R.H. Princess Mary, the Princess Royal.