Royal Museum Of Scotland, 44 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Captain Francis Fowke (Royal Engineers), 1861-71 and W Wing completed 1885-9 by W W Robertson. Later alterations and additions, including neo-classical SE extension by WT Oldrieve, 1910-14, further S extension of 1934-7 (Office of Works), W block by Gordon Benson and Alan Forsyth, 1998 and internal remodelling Gareth Hoskins, 2011 (see Notes). Symmetrical Venetian Renaissance museum building: 2-storey and basement arcaded main block (screen to double-height glazed hall) to centre, flanked by broad-eaved advanced 3-storey and basement pavilions to outer right and left; 1st floor bridge (link to Edinburgh University museum) to West College Street. Polished ashlar (local grey sandstone); shafts of window columns in red Melrose sandstone. Channelled basement; bays with paired stilted-arched windows separated by colonnettes on balustrades at ground and 1st floors, flanked by pilasters (Doric at ground floor, Corinthian at 1st); dentilled cornice and balustraded parapet.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3-bay advanced entrance section to centre: 2 tiers of broad steps with decorative cast-iron hand-rails to 3 2-leaf timber panelled doors (revolving door to centre) with plate glass fanlights in key-consoled moulded round-arched surrounds flanked by Doric pilasters on pedestals; carved heads (see Notes) in spandrels; paired stilted-arched windows to 1st floor; solid parapet above surmounted by 3 groups of figurative sculpture (see Notes). 6-bay recessed flanking wings: paired stilted-arched windows to ground and 1st floors; balustraded parapet surmounted by urns above. 2 flanking 3-storey wings: bipartite windows to basement and ground floors; paired stilted-arched windows above; broad modillioned eaves. 2 sets of wide 3 bay entrances broken through channelled basement to form new paired entrances at ground floor either side of staircase (2011).

E (COLLEGE STREET) ELEVATION: 3-bay E elevation of E pavilion to right, with channelled basement (sloped to fall of street); bipartite windows at ground floor and paired stilted-arched windows above, flanked by pilasters (Doric to ground floor, Corinthian to 1st and pilaster strips to 2nd); broad modillioned eaves above. Glazed bridge to Edinburgh University Museum: stilted-arched Corinthian arcade with moulded cornice and pitched, red-tiled roof on channelled, segmental-arched bridge. 4-bay E elevation of Oldrieve extension to left: tall moulded base course; recessed windows in 2-storey moulded surrounds; plain band course and dentilled cornice above.

Plate glass to timber sash and case windows. Red tiles to outer wings, Slated and glazed roof sections to rear.

REAR (LOTHIAN STREET) ELEVATION: 3-bay S elevation of Oldrieve block to right: tall moulded base course; recessed windows in 2-storey moulded surrounds; plain band course and dentilled cornice above. Bowed elevation of 1934-7 block to left: moulded concrete; segmental-arched door to right with curved metal canopy; bowed section to centre with vertical mouldings, small recessed windows in curvilinear surrounds to ground and tall vertical windows above; glazed section to left lighting stair; segmental-arched door with curved metal canopy.

INTERIOR: 3-storey main hall: glazed roof and galleries supported on decorative cast-iron columns; apsidal ends with paired cantilevered staircases to E and W; cast-iron balustrades with miniature stilted arches to galleries and stairs. Galleried spaces between principal elevation and main hall with original tiles to ground floor. Further smaller top-lit galleried halls off library. 2011 work excavated vaulted stone basement to create lower ground entrance floor with glazed lifts and new staircases to main gallery space. 1934 staircase to rear removed to form further open public spaces to rear of building.

Statement of Interest

A highly significant Victorian municipal museum building designed by a significant British Architect prominently sited to the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town on a new street that was specifically created in order to house the Museum. The internal space of the 3 storey main exhibition hall is arguably one of the most important public spaces in Scotland.

The building was originally known as the Museum of Science and Art and more recently as the Royal Museum. Foundation stone was laid by Prince Albert on 23rd October 1861 (his last public act). The E wing and half of the Main Hall were proceeded with first; The Builder of 1865 notes the completion of the E section, officially opened 19th May 1866. The remainder of the Main Hall and the galleries on the S side were completed by 1874, the W wing in 1888. Fowke was the engineer and architect to the Department of Science and Art. He also designed the London Exhibition Building of the Works of all Nations (1862), the Sheepshanks Gallery, now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Robert Matheson supervised the building of the E side and main block, W W Robertson the W wing. According to Grant, the Museum was lit in the evening by gas burners on horizontal iron rods, the number of jets exceeding 5000 - the same system, according to The Builder, as that used at South Kensington. According to The Builder the capitals, based on objects representing the natural history and geology of Scotland, were designed 'by Mr Sykes after the manner of the Oxford Museum' (ie the University Museum, by Deane and Woodward, 1854-60). The sculpture groups above the principal entrance representing Natural History, Science and Applied Art, and carved heads over the doors representing Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, James Watt, Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton and Michelangelo by John Rhind. There was an extension to Brighton Street (1934-37) and a further to the S of 1961 comprising the Lecture Theatre, education centre and a tea-room by Stewart Sim, 1958-61.

Captain Frances Fowke (1823-1865) was born in Belfast and educated at Dungannon College. He entered the Royal Military College in 1839 and was commissioned in the Royal Engineers from 1842 serving abroad. He was put in charge of the machinery at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 which resulted in him being appointed first Inspector in the Department of Science and Art. In 1857 he became its architect and engineer, which is how he came to design the Museum. Most of his buildings were in Renaissance style however his work as an engineer is of note using new cast iron technologies in his designs. This allowed him to create large iron framed buildings with large open galleries and spaces, important elements in his designs at the Museum and also at the Royal Albert Hall in London which he also designed.

A programme of internal refurbishment took place in 1986. The W extension, designed by Benson and Forsyth Architects, was opened in 1998. A further major refurbishment took place of the body of the museum in 2008-11 by Gareth Hoskins Architects. The paired basement windows to the channelled basement were replaced by paired 3 bay entrance doors leading to the opened up stone vaulted basement forming a new reception area to the lower ground floor. The 1934 staircase to the rear was removed and further open spaces created to lead the visitor up and into the rear of the building.

(List description updated at re-survey 2011-12.)

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