Marischal College is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and parts are used for a museum and ceremonial events. However, since 2011 the main part of the building serves as the administrative headquarters of Aberdeen City Council, providing corporate office space and public access to council services, adjacent to the Town House, the city's historic seat of local government. The council leases these parts of the building on a long-term basis from the University of Aberdeen. Many Aberdonians consider Marischal College to be iconic of the "Granite City" and to symbolise the zenith of Aberdeen's granite-working industry.
Formerly the seat of the ancient Marischal College and University of Aberdeen founded in 1593, the building was retained by the unified University of Aberdeen following its creation in 1860 by the merger of Marischal College and King's College. The buildings of Marischal College continued to be used for academic purposes until recent times and were significantly rebuilt and expanded upon throughout this period. The construction of the modern college building began in 1835 and took its present form in the early part of the 20th century, following the demolition of previous buildings on the site. It is the second largest granite building in the world.
In the mid-to-late 20th century, teaching at the university gravitated towards King's College or Foresterhill (for students of medicine) and by the early 21st century a new purpose for Marischal College was required. After a number of unsuccessful proposals, the majority of the building was leased to Aberdeen City Council to be restored and refurbished as office accommodation. The extensive renovation was completed on schedule and significantly under budget and the building opened to the public in June 2011. The university has retained the Mitchell Hall and a number of other significant parts of the building for its own use, in addition to the Marischal Museum .
Read more about Marischal College: History, University of Aberdeen, Renovation As Aberdeen City Council Headquarters, Greyfriars Church, Alumni
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