12 Writer's Court including boundary walls, Dunbar, Dunbar and East Linton, East Lothian

Description

Basil Spence and Partners, 1948-51 (Basil Spence, partner-in-charge; Hardie Glover, job architect; Andrew Renton, designer; Bruce Robertson, partner in charge; Sarah McCosh; Bill Rowarth; James Beveridge, Richard Cassidy). Modernist with vernacular references housing; 4-bay 3-storey, stepped rectangular-plan block adjoined at SW corner to 4-bay, 2-storey rectangular-plan block; part of a municipal housing development set around drying green near harbour. Cavity brick construction, predominantly painted harl with red sandstone random rubble base course and ground of 3-storey block. Concrete walkway, treads, balconies, some lintels, projecting narrow cills, projecting surrounds to balcony openings and stepped cantilevered canopies to entrances of maisonettes entrances; iron balustrades. Some raised windows in architraves

RECTANGULAR BLOCK TO N (19A-C VICTORIA STREET): flatted ground floor advanced to form exterior entrance walkway at 1st floor to maisonettes; exterior stair to 1st floor to N elevation. Panelled timber entrance door with half glazed sidelights to maisonettes. Irregular fenestration; window opening at ground floor wrapping around SE corner. Balcony at 2nd floor to outer right of N elevation. Ground floor stores to west and underneath forestair.

RECTANGULAR BLOCK TO S (10 AND 12 WRITER'S COURT): 2 2-bay maisonettes, near-symmetrical, running N-S. Random rubble to centre of ground floor opening of E elevation. Balcony at 1st floor to outer left of E elevation and left of W (rear) elevation. Entrance doors at side (gable) elevations accessed by small forestairs to E elevations.

Variety of replacement uPVC glazing and doors. Pantile pitched roofs; harled and coped ridge and end stacks, with circular clay cans.

INTERIORS (partially seen 2010): simple plan-forms of flats and maisonettes generally intact; fisherman stores to ground floor.

BOUNDARY WALLS: red sandstone random rubble with concrete copes, stepped as ground falls away.

Statement of Interest

B-Group consisting of Nos 1-6 Harbour Court, Nos 3-9 Victoria Place, 12-30, 15A-15D and 19A-19C Victoria Street, Nos 8-12 Writer's Court, Nos 1-4 Buncles Court and Nos 30-38 Lamer Street (see separate list entries).

The design of this post-war municipal housing development near Victoria Harbour is a skilful blend of the modern idiom with the vernacular of Scotland's East Coast fishing villages. Modern thin iron railings, picture windows, projecting concrete balconies and coloured harl are combined with the traditions of ground floor stores with forestairs giving access to dwellings above, and natural materials such as red sandstone bases and slate, a physical and intentionally visible combination of old and new. Arranged in informal picturesque groupings this scheme provided a model for Scottish burgh redevelopment in the 1950s and 1960s. This scheme has subsequently been labelled "...an exemplar of urban conservation" (Edwards, p39), and assisted in establishing Spence as a key figure in urban housing architecture.

These properties are part of a group of 20 houses which comprise the first phase of post-war development around Victoria Harbour by the prolific Scottish architect Basil Spence. The second phase consisted of 9 properties at Lamer Street and Buncles Court. Spence, with former partner, William Kininmonth, had already begun redevelopment of the harbour area with a terrace of houses, 12-30 Victoria Street, in 1935. Immediately after WWII, Spence began work on a large new housing scheme for Dunbar at the Summerfield site and by 1948 plans were being prepared for 20 houses at the harbour side as well. Additional funding was provided as part of the government's attempt to develop the east coast fisheries - priority for housing was given to fishermen. But character was also deemed important as Dunbar promoted itself as a tourist destination. This is arguably Basil Spence's best-known Scottish work, due partly to his famous aerial perspective, which captivated the imagination of both the public and the architectural press.

The success of the scheme was acknowledged with a Saltire housing award in 1952 and similar commissions for Spence for the regeneration of Newhaven, Cramond and Culross, although only Newhaven was carried through to execution. Both respectful of their surroundings and both promoting the importance of the past whilst meeting contemporary needs and looking to the future, Dunbar and Newhaven established Spence as a key figure in post-war urban architecture.

Sir Basil Spence was one of Scotland's most accomplished and prolific 20th century architects. He leapt to prominence during the Festival of Britain in 1951 as chief architect for the Exhibition of Industrial Power in Glasgow. Some of his most renowned works include Coventry Cathedral and the British Embassy in Rome. The practice was also profuse in the design of housing schemes, such as Great Michael Rise, Newhaven, Edinburgh (1957-9) and Canongate, Edinburgh (1961-9) (see separate listings).

Many of the original windows and doors have been replaced with a variety of materials and glazing patterns. The original glazing pattern predominantly consisted of casement windows flanking a fixed pane window with top hung hopper and fully glazed sidelights to the doors.

Listed as part of the Sir Basil Spence thematic listing survey (2009-11).

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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