Description

John Tait, circa 1830-1840, with later alterations. 3-storey with attic over basement, 5-bay Corinthian pilastraded pavilion corner block, terminating SW end of palace-fronted Rutland Street and adjoining numbers 2, 3 and 4 Rutland Square to SE. Droved sandstone ashlar at basement; polished sandstone ashlar above; polished dressings. Band course between basement and ground floor; banded cill course at 1st floor; projecting cills to 2nd floor; string course below dentil cornice; corniced and pilastered 3-bay attic at centre above (single bay to Rutland Street elevation). Moulded architraves to openings at ground floor; ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

NW (RUTLAND STREET) ELEVATION: 5-bay, grouped 1-3-1, with central block slightly advanced. Doorway in bay to centre at basement; window (blocked) in each bay to right; window in each bay to left. Consoled and corniced doorpiece at ground floor in bay to centre; timber panelled door with geometric fanlight above; window (including centred dormer) at each floor above; regular fenestration to all remaining bays, blocked in 2 bays to right at ground floor.

SW (RUTLAND SQUARE) ELEVATION: segmental-arched doorway with replacement timber door and vertical-astragal fanlight offset to right of centre at basement; window in bay to outer right and in three bays at left. Consoled and corniced doorpiece at ground floor in bay to centre; timber panelled door with 4-pane rectangular fanlight; window at each flanking bay and to all floors above, including 3-bay attic.

NE AND SE ELEVATIONS: obscured by adjoining buildings.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows; 2-pane timber sash and case windows at ground floor to Rutland Square elevation. Grey slate roof. Tall mutual coped rendered multi-flue stack to NE of Rutland Street elevation; attic pilasters at NW act as stacks; tall cylindrical cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: converted as offices at ground floor and basement; unseen above.

RAILINGS: spear-headed cast-iron railings (plain up steps to doors) mounted on ashlar copes to each elevation.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Edinburgh New Town A-Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. The approach to Rutland Square from the West End was planned by Archibald Elliot in 1819 and appears on Wood's 1823 map, although at that stage it had not been built. It was rebuilt, with revisions by John Tait, the architect of John Learmonth who bought the ground in 1825. Tait adopted the giant Corinthian pilaster motif at the entrance to the square.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17567933

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2