32, 34 London Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid, begun 1807. 50-bay near-symmetrical palace block, comprising 4-storey and basement 9-bay central pavilion, flanked by pair of 3-storey and basement linking terraces, 15-bay to left, 16-bay to right, flanked in turn by pair of 4-storey and basement, 5-bay terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor; broached ashlar sandstone at basement. Base course; band courses between basement and principal floor, principal and 1st floors; corniced frieze at impost level in bays to outer left and right at principal floor of central pavilion, and in bays at principal floor at terminal pavilions; cill course at 1st and 2nd floors; cornice and blocking course at 2nd floor of linking terraces; cornice at 2nd floor of central and terminal pavilions; cornice and blocking course at 3rd floor of central and terminal pavilions. Windows to 1st floor of pavilions architraved and corniced. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, CENTRAL PAVILION: 9-bay with 3 bays at centre and bays at outer left and right advanced. 4-panel timber doors, common stair at No 22, with plate glass semicircular fanlight (No 20), blind radial semicircular fanlight (No 22), and radial semicircular fanlight (No 24), in 3 bays at centre, at principal floor. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor, in round-arched recesses in bays to outer left and right; regular fenestration to floors above, with architraved windows at 1st floor, pedimented with consoles in bays to outer left and right, and corniced with consoles in remaining bays, with blind balustered aprons; lunette window centred at 3rd floor. Blank wallhead tablet spanning central bay. Flagged basement area.

S ELEVATION, LINKING TERRACES: 15-bay terrace to left of central pavilion (Nos 8-18) comprising 9-panel timber doors in penultimate bay from left (No 8, common stair door), with glazed upper panels and blind radial rectangular fanlight; in 3rd bay from left (No 10) with radial rectangular fanlight; in 6th bay from left (No 12), with plate glass rectangular fanlight; in 5th bay from right (No 14), with radial rectangular fanlight; in 4th bay from right (No 16), with 3-pane rectangular fanlight; in 3rd bay from right (No 18, common stair door), with plate glass rectangular fanlight. 16-bay linking terrace to right of central pavilion (Nos 26-34) comprising 9-panel timber doors in 3rd bay from left (No 26), with plate glass rectangular fanlight; in 6th bay from left (No 28), with 6-pane rectangular fanlight; in 9th bay from left (No 30), and 3rd bay from right (No 32), with plate glass rectangular fanlights; in penultimate bay from right (No 34), with glazed upper panels and blind rectangular fanlight. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above and basement, with 3rd floor cills lowered at Nos 32 and 34. Flagged basement area.

W TERMINAL PAVILION: 3 bays at centre recessed. 4-panel timber common stair door, with glazed upper panels and radial semicircular fanlight, centred at principal floor; 4-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight in bay to outer right at principal floor. Windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above; architraved windows at 1st floor, corniced with consoles in bay at centre, corniced in bays flanking centre, pedimented with consoles in bays to outer left and right; lunette window centred at 3rd floor; blind window to outer left at 3rd floor. Flagged basement area.

E TERMINAL PAVILION: 3 bays at centre recessed. 9-panel timber door with umbrella semicircular fanlight centred at principal floor; windows in round-arched recesses in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to floors above and basement, with architraved windows, corniced with consoles, in 3 bays at centre at 1st floor, architraved windows with consoled pediments in bays at outer left and right at 1st floor; multi-pane thermal window centred at 3rd floor; blind window in bay to right of centre at principal floor, bays at centre and right of centre at 1st floor, bays at centre, right of centre and outer right at 2nd floor. Blind balustered aprons in bays at 1st floor. Flagged basement area.

DRUMMOND PLACE RETURN TO W TERMINAL PAVILION: 5-bay, with curved frontage, becoming 36, 36A Drummond Place (see separate listing).

MANSFIELD PLACE RETURN TO E TERMINAL PAVILION: 5-bay, becoming 1-3 Mansfield Place (see separate listing).

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Decorative window guards in bays to right of centre at 2nd floor of W terminal pavilion , and in bays at 1st floor of Drummond Place return. Grey slate roofs. Recessed polygonal piended slate-hung dormers at Nos 14, 18, 28, 32 (pair) and 34. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Variety of broached ashlar ridge and wallhead stacks; shouldered wallhead stack spanning centre bay at W terminal pavilion, wallhead stack spanning centre bay at E terminal pavilion; shouldered wallhead stacks to side elevations of central pavilion; coped, some with cornices, with circular cans.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1998.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with decorative finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A Group. London Street, feued by the Magistrates, was part of the first extension of the New Town planned by Reid and Sibbald in 1802. Building started on the north side in 1807. The elevation of the south side was partly revised by Thomas Brown, and approved in Council on September 22 1819.

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