Description

William Burn, building 1825-27. Almost symmetrical 4-storey palace block of tenements with advanced pavilion ends; shops (modern) at ground floor and flats above.

W (LOTHIAN ROAD) ELEVATION: 19-bays to centre; advanced 7-bay blocks at either end (1 window on quadrant at Bread Street) with 3 centre bays slightly advanced. Polished ashlar. Cill course to 1st floor; eaves cornice; blocking course; parapet to end blocks. 5 windows to centre at 1st floor corniced; cast-iron balconies to 2nd and 3rd floor windows. Timber panelled doors to common stairs with border-glazed fanlight flanked by fluted Ionic pilasters; dentilled cornice and segmental pediment on scrolled consoles.

N (BREAD STREET) ELEVATION: 2 bays to right advanced, with cill course at 1st floor, eaves cornice and blocking course. 5 bays to left; modern shops to ground floor.

S (EAST FOUNTAINBRIDGE) ELEVATION: blind windows to 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors on return of end block to Lothian Road; cill course at 1st floor, eaves cornice and blocking course. Single storey bank on corner (now Lloyds TSB Scotland) at ground floor; base course, deep block-modillioned cornice, parapet; entrance on quadrant; modern glazed door in arched doorpiece flanked by Ionic columns on pedestals with entablature carried round to Doric pilasters at bay edge; decorative mosaic in apse reads 'Thrift is Blessing;' modern arcaded plate glass windows. 7 bays to East Fountainbridge regularly fenestrated, modern shops at ground floor.

Mixture of 12-pane and plate glass in timber sash and case windows to flats at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Corniced stacks with circular cans. (Roof not seen.)

Statement of Interest

Designed by Burn for Major Weir. Previously Downie Place. An impressive palace block in an important situation; part of a major planned scheme.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17794230

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
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  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
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  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy