Central Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Designed by Sir George Washington Browne from 1887-90 with a 1901-3 bookstack addition, the Central Library is a multi-storey purpose-built Carnegie public library building with its principal (east and south) elevations arranged as tall upper floors and attic which are level with George IV Bridge. Its lower service floors are set below the bridge. The building is Greek-cross in plan and is largely in the French Renaissance style of Francois Premier. The upper floors are constructed in polished ashlar (Stirlingshire or Northumberland stone) with elaborately carved panels and ornate stonework and the lower floors are coursed bull-faced sandstone with polished dressings. The openings have roll moulded surrounds and chamfered mullions and transoms to the windows. The windows of the upper floors are flanked by giant Corinthian pilasters. The building has a tall pavilion-roofed, square-plan tower over the centre with triple pedimented dormer windows and topped by a 2-stage octagonal lantern. There is a bookstack (1901) wing at the northwest corner and the north and east walls are white glazed brick.

To the east elevation there is an arched bridge with a stone balustrade that links George IV Bridge to the main entrance, which is at the centre of a triple round-arched arcade with Diocletian windows. The entrance door is 2-leaf, timber and glazed and there is a large carved panel above with the inscription 'LET THERE BE LIGHT' over rising rays. Flanking the entrance are tripartite windows with Doric colonnettes with carved panels above. The upper floor windows (to the Reference Library) have elaborate carved apron panels, each with a roundel with a coat of arms depicting the City of Edinburgh, Scotland and the Royal Arms. Above these windows is a modillioned cornice and stone balustrade. The bay to the left has a smaller window breaking the eaves with an elaborate pediment.

The main stair case wing at the northeast corner projects forward to the line of George IV Bridge, and there is a circular and domed turret on an octagonal base and decorative scrolled brackets in the re-entrant angle. The ground floor of the staircase wing has a tripartite window to the centre with Doric colonnettes, below a panel with 3 heraldic low reliefs and a Diocletian window above this. The flanking bays have single windows with decorative pediments. The attic window has an elaborate Mannerist aedicular surround. The roof is steeply pitched and piended.

To the south (Cowgate) elevation, to the outer right, there is a decorative panelled 2-leaf timber door in a round-arched surround with a pedimented doorpiece with an oculus (small round window) in the pediment. To the outer left is a 2-leaf timber panelled door in a pilastered and corniced surround. The top storey (the Reference Library floor) has a deep cill course with small round windows and to the right is a gabled bay with an elaborate Mannerist pediment with the inscriptions 'AC', 'ELP' and '1889'.

The interior was seen in 2015 and comprises a lending library opposite the entrance, a former newspaper room (with mid-20th century mezzanine) on the lower level, and a reading room above the lending library. The lending library, reading room and main staircase retain much of their late 19th century ornate plaster and timberwork. On entry there is a rectangular columned vestibule with a compartmented ceiling, aligned north to south, joining the main staircases in the building. The dog-leg staircase to the south of the plan leads to the lower ground floors - the Edinburgh Room (the mezzanine) and the Scottish Library (former Newspaper Room), and further down to the Cowgate entrance. The door architrave to the Scottish library is 17th century and roll moulded with the inscription 'AT HOSPES HVMO'. There are glazed tiles to the walls of this staircase at basement level. The Scottish library has a compartmented ceiling supported by eight ionic columns and Ionic pilasters to the corners. The bookstack has floor to ceiling loadbearing timber shelving and cast iron spiral staircases.

Directly opposite the main entrance is the lending library, which has oak panelling to the walls and squared oak columns supporting a compartmented ceiling with egg and dart cornicing. The entrance has a pedimented doorpiece with a broken apex. To the right of the entrance is a wide, processional half-turn (Arbroath or Carmyllie) flagstone staircase with landings, square oak pillars and handrail. On the north wall is a bust of Andrew Carnegie in a shell niche with a corniced and pilastered surround, and below this a later door to the fine art department. Framing the top floor windows on the staircase is a round arcade on square Corinthian columns. The plaster cornice includes the initials 'AC' and there is a compartmented ceiling with pendants. The door architrave to the Reference Room is 17th century and roll moulded with the inscription 'TECVM HABITA 1616'. The reference is arcaded with giant Corinthian pilaster on deep bases and scrolled keystones. There is a pierced shallow central dome, with a geometric pattern and decorative plasterwork. Behind the arcading are tall bookshelves with a cast iron gallery accessed by four cast iron spiral staircases hidden in the corners of the Greek-cross plan.

There is small-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, with small leaded panes to principal windows. The roofs have grey/green slates and there are decorative ashlar chimney stacks with corner pilasters and dentilled cornices; circular stacks.

At George IV Bridge there is a stone balustrade and a pair of square ashlar gatepiers with elaborate cast iron standard lamps. The cast and wrought iron gates, designed by Thomas Tait (of Edinburgh), are very decorative with thistles, symbols of Edinburgh, and the initials 'EPL'.

Statement of Interest

Designed in 1887 by the renowned architect Sir George Washington Browne and opened in 1890, Edinburgh Central Library is an outstanding public library building in Scotland, as well as among the earliest Carnegie libraries. It remains one of the largest purpose built libraries in the country. Since the book stack was added in the early 20th century the external appearance with ornate carved stonework is almost completely unaltered. Internally the quality of the details in the main rooms and circulation spaces is outstanding. Its innovative Greek-cross plan form is also of special interest. The alterations and extensions that have been made to the building have responded to the changing requirements of users and the growth of the collection and it remains one of the busiest lending libraries in Scotland.

External Links

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