Latitude: 55.9495 / 55°56'58"N
Longitude: -3.2103 / 3°12'36"W
OS Eastings: 324517
OS Northings: 673605
OS Grid: NT245736
Mapcode National: GBR 8KG.7R
Mapcode Global: WH6SL.NQHD
Plus Code: 9C7RWQXQ+RV
Entry Name: 54, 56 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh
Listing Name: 52, 54, 56 Shandwick Place
Listing Date: 20 February 1985
Category: C
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 370988
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB30183
Building Class: Cultural
ID on this website: 200370988
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: City Centre
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Bank building
John McLachlan, 1879. 3-storey and attic, 6-bay symmetrical Free Renaissance tenement building with shop premises at ground floor. Smooth sandstone ashlar. Consoled fascia to right hand shop front Penultimate bays canted from 1st floor to attic level. 1st floor band course with scalloped tympana and shell motif. Cill courses (2nd floor bracketed); moulded architraves to 2nd floor windows consoled eaves course; canted attic bays with segmental pediments and acanthus tympana. Cast iron guilloche parapet at attic. Pedimented recessed dormers.
Plate glass windows to shopfronts; plate glass in timber sash and case windows above. Shallow double pitch M-section roof; grey slates; central corniced ashlar ridge stack with modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.
An important component of Shandwick place, Nos. 52, 54, 56 are well detailed in the mid-Victorian Free Renaissance style, with cast-iron parapet and the shell motifs adding interest. The tenement's position next to St. George's West Church reinforces its importance to the streetscape in a prominent thoroughfare leading into Princes Street. This building replaces part of the early 19th century palace fronted tenements by James Tait. Several private developments were made along the street and this design is a good examples of the late 19th century redevelopment of Shandwick Place.
This was one of John McLachlan's first buildings as a sole practitioner. He went on to become architect to the Bank of Scotland from 1884.
(Category changed from B to C(S) and list description updated 2009 as part of re-survey.)
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.
Other nearby listed buildings