8 Writer's C0Ourt Including Boundary Walls, 15D Victoria Street, 15C, 15B, 15A, Dunbar, East Lothian

Description

Basil Spence and Partners, 1948-51 (Basil Spence, partner-in-charge; Hardie Glover, job architect; Andrew Renton, designer; Bruce Robertson, partner in charge; Sarah McCosh; Bill Rowarth; James Beveridge, Richard Cassidy). 2 and 3 storeys, stepped L-plan housing with Modernist and vernacular references; part of a municipal housing development set around drying green near harbour; land falling away to NE revealing store to ground floor of E elevation. Cavity brick construction, predominantly painted harl with red sandstone random rubble to gables and recessed bays of N and S Elevation. Eaves course to gables. Concrete balconies, some lintels, projecting narrow cills, projecting surrounds to balcony openings and predominantly stepped cantilevered canopies to entrance doors; iron balustrades. Predominantly timber panelled, single entrance door with half glazed sidelight; single entrance door to No. 15D. Some raised ground and 1st floor windows in architraves. Random rubble forestairs with concrete treads.

N (VICTORIA STREET) ELEVATION: 7 bays (central 5 bays advanced) adjoined to 3-storey gable (Writer's Court) at left. Outer right bay faced with red sandstone random rubble. Entrance doors to outer bays, and outer left bay and right of centre of advanced section; some with balcony above; balcony at 1st floor of left return wall and W gable elevation. Random rubble section separating windows to left of centre at ground

E (WRITER'S COURT) ELEVATION: 3 bays, advanced 2 bays to right in red sandstone random rubble; door to outer left with balcony above.

Variety of replacement uPVC glazing and doors. Pantile pitched roofs; harled and ridge stacks, with circular clay cans.

INTERIORS (partially seen 2010): simple plan-forms of flats and maisonettes generally intact; fisherman stores to ground floor of E elevation.

BOUNDARY WALLS: red sandstone random rubble with concrete copes, stepped as ground falls away.

Statement of Interest

B-Group consisting of Nos 1-6 Harbour Court, Nos 3-9 Victoria Place, 12-30, 15A-15D and 19A-19C Victoria Street, Nos 8-12 Writer's Court, Nos 1-4 Buncles Court and Nos 30-38 Lamer Street (see separate list entries).

The design of this post-war municipal housing development near Victoria Harbour is a skilful blend of the modern idiom with the vernacular of Scotland's East Coast fishing villages. Modern thin iron railings, picture windows, projecting concrete balconies and coloured harl are combined with the traditions of ground floor stores with forestairs giving access to dwellings above, and natural materials such as red sandstone bases and slate, a physical and intentionally visible combination of old and new. Arranged in informal picturesque groupings this scheme provided a model for Scottish burgh redevelopment in the 1950s and 1960s. This scheme has subsequently been labelled "...an exemplar of urban conservation" (Edwards, p39), and assisted in establishing Spence as a key figure in urban housing architecture.

These properties are part of a group of 20 houses which comprise the first phase of post-war development around Victoria Harbour by the prolific Scottish architect Basil Spence. The second phase consisted of 9 properties at Lamer Street and Buncles Court. Spence, with former partner, William Kininmonth, had already begun redevelopment of the harbour area with a terrace of houses, 12-30 Victoria Street, in 1935. Immediately after WWII, Spence began work on a large new housing scheme for Dunbar at the Summerfield site and by 1948 plans were being prepared for 20 houses at the harbour side as well. Additional funding was provided as part of the government's attempt to develop the east coast fisheries - priority for housing was given to fishermen. But character was also deemed important as Dunbar promoted itself as a tourist destination. This is arguably Basil Spence's best-known Scottish work, due partly to his famous aerial perspective, which captivated the imagination of both the public and the architectural press.

The success of the scheme was acknowledged with a Saltire housing award in 1952 and similar commissions for Spence for the regeneration of Newhaven, Cramond and Culross, although only Newhaven was carried through to execution. Both respectful of their surroundings and both promoting the importance of the past whilst meeting contemporary needs and looking to the future, Dunbar and Newhaven established Spence as a key figure in post-war urban architecture.

Sir Basil Spence was one of Scotland's most accomplished and prolific 20th century architects. He leapt to prominence during the Festival of Britain in 1951 as chief architect for the Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow. Some of his most renowned works include Coventry Cathedral and the British Embassy in Rome. The practice was also profuse in the design of housing schemes, such as Great Michael Rise, Newhaven, Edinburgh (1957-9) and Canongate, Edinburgh (1961-9) (see separate listings).

Many of the original windows and doors have been replaced with a variety of materials and glazing patterns. The original glazing pattern predominantly consisted of casement windows flanking a fixed pane window with top hung hopper and fully glazed sidelights to the doors. It is evident in photographs taken after completion from the Sir Basil Spence Collection and Spence, Glover & Ferguson Collection.

Listed as part of the Sir Basil Spence thematic listing survey (2009-11).

External Links

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