A Cowdenbeath artist has used the town’s most prominent building as a source of inspiration for a new sketch project.

Elaine Green, of Studio 2 Original, has produced a free leaflet showcasing the Toon Hoose and its architectural and design highlights, as the building undergoes a multi-million pound redevelopment.

The work includes detailed sketches and drawings of the building, including its Edwardian Renaissance style features, which was designed by Thomas Hyslop-Ure and constructed between 1904 and 1906.  The building’s clock tower and intricate cornice mouldings also feature in the fold-out leaflet, available to locals in a number of community venues.

The handy leaflet also showcases some of the planned spaces that will exist when the building reopens to the public, 10 years after it was closed as a Council office.  A £2.1million project to redevelop the building started earlier this year, funded by The Scottish Government and delivered by Hub North East.  When opened, the new community space will feature a cafe, meeting rooms, radio studios and units for local businesses, all managed by the pioneering community group BRAG Enterprises.

Elaine told us, “As a local artist and resident of Cowdenbeath, I was honoured to contribute to the Town House development project by designing an information brochure as part of a wider community engagement initiative. The project formed part of my final semester while studying for an Honours degree in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art, making the experience particularly meaningful both personally and professionally. 

“Being able to combine my creative practice with community-focused work in my hometown was a privilege and I am proud to have played a small part in helping communicate a positive vision for the future of the building and the wider community. I hope this will be the beginning of further opportunities to bring more of my designs and creative ideas forward as the local Town House development and Cowdenbeath in general continues to evolve in the future.“

Stuart Duffy, a Director of My Cowdenbeath commented, “I’ve known Elaine for more than 30 years and her creativity, energy and commitment to this community are endless! This is another example of her talents, this time focussed on the heritage of oor wee toon, something we are both passionate about.

“The leaflet explores some of the features people may not remember or that we might take for granted – when it was open we all walked past the lavish cornicing without a thought, or brushed against the beautiful spindles up the staircase, or ofcourse gazed up to check the time from the clock tower set within it’s Doric-style columns.”

“My Cowdenbeath are delighted to support Elaine with the printing costs and distribution of this informative leaflet. The Toon Hoose is a building we all know so well and its a very welcome investment to see it under redevelopment again for a community purpose. We appreciate all the efforts of BRAG in co-ordinating this valuable work for Cowdenbeath and its residents and cannot wait to see the building when it opens.”

Copies of the leaflet can be picked up at the Maxwell Centre, The Clearing, PICTS Community Hub, Lucie-Sue’s Coffee Shop and at Cowdenbeath Library for free, as well as from the My Cowdenbeath stall at the Gala Day on 13th June.