Royal Bank Of Scotland Building, 28-30 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Entry Name: Royal Bank Of Scotland Building, 28-30 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh

Listing Name: 28 and 30 Nicolson Street and 21 Hill Place, the Royal Bank of Scotland Building

Listing Date: 28 March 2000

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 370920

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30141

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Edinburgh, 28 - 30 Nicolson Street, Royal Bank Of Scotland Building

ID on this website: 200370920

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: Southside/Newington

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Building

Description

T P Marwick, 1897-8. 4-storey and attic, 2 x 4 bay Free Renaissance corner tenement with ground floor bank with 3-windows to corner bay and distinctive polygonal tower. 2-storey flat-roofed extension to W (Hill Place). Outer bay to Hill Place forms pyramidal tower at top storey. (Currently bank and university department, (2007).) Red sandstone. Tall, polished granite base course, cill course, deep moulded cornices to ground, 2nd and 3rd storeys. Square-plan plinths with tiered obelisks at wallhead. Segmental-headed dormers with balustrade.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: 2-leaf timber panelled entrance door at splayed angle with carved consoled doorpiece; flanking elaborately carved niches. Keystoned, semi-elliptical-arched openings to ground, separated by Doric pilasters, with Diocletian windows with timber transoms and Corinthian-column mullions. 3rd storey with deep recessed keystoned round-arched window openings, separated by engaged Ionic columns.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows to upper floors, casement windows to 3rd storey. Fixed plate glass to ground. Green slates. Coped gable and ridge stacks. Cast iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: (Partially seen 2007). Believed to be comprehensively modernised

Statement of Interest

This is a highly decorative and well-detailed tenement with significant streetscape value on important corner site. The wealth of detailing on the top storey and attic is particularly fine and the polygonal corner turret is a distinctive feature of the building. The building was originally constructed for the National Bank of Scotland and is an imposing, eye-catching building which was intended to display wealth and permanence.

The National Bank of Scotland was formed in 1825 and amalgamated with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1969. 21 Hill Place is currently the University of Edinburgh Institute of Applied Language Studies (2007).

Thomas P Marwick, (1854-1926) was an Edinburgh architect who designed many tenements in the Marchmont area of the city and who also retained the National Bank as a client throughout his career. He worked primarily in the Free Renaissance and neo-Baroque tradition.

List description revised as part of Edinburgh Holyrood Ward resurvey 2007-08.

External Links

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