A vast low-rise office complex steps into Craigie Hill through planted terraces, courtyards and carefully integrated works of art.
Quick facts
- Date
- Designed and built 1979–1983
- Architect / designer
- James Parr and Partners; structural and services engineering by Ove Arup and Partners
- Type
- Terraced late-Modernist corporate headquarters with courtyards, roof gardens and integrated sculpture
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB52450)
- OS grid reference
- NO 09819 22214
Architecture and continuing use
Five modular levels follow a ten-metre tartan grid, punctured by nine planted courtyards. Ribbed precast concrete and bronze-tinted glazing give the “ground-scraper” a rocky texture, while roof gardens merge it with the hillside.
Its story
General Accident commissioned the building as its world headquarters, and construction ran from 1979 to 1983. It later became an Aviva office and was listed at Category A in 2017.
Why it is included
It is among Scotland’s finest late twentieth-century commercial buildings, uniting office planning, engineering, landscape and commissioned art.
What to notice
- Terraces receding into the slope rather than rising as a conventional tower.
- Ribbed concrete panels and bronze glazing.
- Sculptures by George Wyllie and Ronald Rae around the approaches.
Reading the surroundings
This is a working corporate office, not a general visitor attraction. Respect security and staff privacy; view the exterior only from lawful public routes unless invited.
Timeline
- Designed and built 1979–1983 General Accident commissioned the building as its world headquarters, and construction ran from 1979 to 1983.
- Present Active Aviva office.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Office occupancy and internal arrangements can change. Aviva’s current location page confirms active use but does not imply public access.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Aviva UK Insurance Building, Pitheavlis, LB52450 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural interest.
- Aviva careers: Perth office — Current Aviva occupancy and the company’s identification of the listed Pitheavlis building.
- Aviva: Perth office wind turbine approval — Recent corporate evidence of continuing operation and environmental investment at the site.
Location
OS grid reference NO 09819 22214 · Location confidence: High: the HES designation supplies a mapped National Grid Reference and a current operator, council, congregation or institutional source confirms the Place relationship and present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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