To spot the King's Pavilion, look for the cream-coloured building with large glass windows and zig-zagging stairs right on the edge of the wide sports field-it stands out next to the older, stony structures behind it.
Right in front of you is the King's Pavilion-a place that’s seen its fair share of energy, excitement, and perhaps the odd damp sock! Imagine it’s 1941, wartime Britain. The air is chilly, students and athletes eagerly gather as the impressive new Pavilion opens with a whoosh of official pronouncements. Designed by Alexander George Robertson Mackenzie, this building was a beacon of hope and fresh starts, rising up where an old sports pavilion once stood.
For decades, the Pavilion buzzed with action-imagine the cheers bouncing off the walls, the sounds of tennis shoes on gym floors, and the splash of water from the now-quiet swimming pool. These days, those echoes are joined each September by something a little more poetic: the WayWORD Festival, where peculiar poems and wild words fill the air, and the halls become vibrant with stories and laughter. Even as part of history-being Category B listed!-the Pavilion keeps its doors open to new ideas. So, breathe in the crisp Aberdeen air, imagine the thrill of a festival, and remember, every great building needs a few good stories…and maybe a dry towel or two!
