Description

John Jerdan, 1934. 5-storey 8-bay flat-roofed block of modernistic flats with cut-away balconied corners, flanked by underground garages; cream render with horizontal bands of red brick; red brick base course; continuous bands of red brick above ground and 3rd floor; red brick parapet to front and sides; cut-away corners as balconies of red brick.

SE (FRONT) ELEVATION: period-style windwos (formerly metal-framed) to each bay and floor except outer bays; 4 centre bays recessed with fluted and stepped brick parapet; central entance doorway with ashlar surround and projecting canopy, timber door with glazed opening and brass ironmongery, accessed by steps with solid curved ashlar parapet; windows to right and left of entrance door with external shutters.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: single windows to each bay and floor; 4 tall windows to centre bay lighting stair hall, top window round-arched and keystoned; small rectangular flat-roofed service block to centre of roof.

SW ELEVATION: 4-bay; single windows to each floor of bays to left; cut-away deck-style balconies with handrails and concrete supporting column to right; left corner slightly advanced with square stack; 2 red brick wallhead stacks with ashlar coping.

NE ELEVATION: mirror of SW elevation (except for square corner stack). Originally multi-pane metal windows (now mostly modern replacements of similar pattern); flat roof; 5 wallhead stacks (see above).

INTERIOR: green polished marble floor to hall and stair with black and white geometrical inlay; Art Deco door handles to flats and brass stair rail.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: low stepped ashlar boundary wall to front, tall obelisk gatepiers with off-set coping and lamps, small piers with off-set coping.

Statement of Interest

A perspective drawing of the building by the architect is part of the RIAS collection, held at nr NMRS (present colour scheme original). The design of Nos 8-10 Colinton Road is similar to a block of flats designed by the American architects Raymond Hood and Kenneth Murchison in New York, the Beaux Arts Apartments (1930). They were featured in the periodical 'Architectural Forum' in September 1930, and it is possible that Jerdan was influenced by this. The apparently anachronistic detail of the wooden shutters in Jerdan's design has its parallel in the cosy window boxes of the Beaux Arts Apartments.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17806480

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

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
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  Old House Care and Repair
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  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover