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Summary

Description

Early 20th century (see Notes). 4-storey, multi-bay, large complex of commercial buildings on prominent corner site, now internally linked with unified shopfront to ground. Notable for 1930's 5-bay Art Deco variation of Burton house style to NE elevation; pale granite ashlar.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: St Nicholas Street Elevation: Former Burton building dominated by 5 tall, round-arched openings rising from 1st floor with distinctive scalloped voussoirs to arch heads. Ribbed, metal aprons divide floors within arches. Decorative linen-fold eaves band with panel inscribed 'Montague Burton ' Tailor Of Taste' to centre and alternating chevron-detailed shields.

3-bay, stugged ashlar building to left: cill courses; moulded string course between 2nd and 3rd floors; eaves band. Central bay flanked by consoled pilasters at 2nd and 3rd floors rising to form stacks with crenellated panel inscribed 'Commercial Buildings'. Stone mullioned bipartite openings elsewhere with further pilasters to outer bays.

N Elevation: narrow, blind window to first bay with 3-bay pointed gable elevation with attic light to left. Three round-arch openings with simple detailing and multi-panel fixed-pane glazing pattern. Further flat-roofed 3-bay elevation to right with canted corner returning to Correction Wynd.

Grey slate, broad gable end stacks, ashlar skews and skewputts, clay cans.

INTERIOR: Seen 2006. Comprehensively modernised and altered to form single shop.

Statement of Special Interest

The former Burton building is a particularly significant part of this group of connected building. The use of very pale granite is unusual as are the bronze panels, which are more commonly found in Glasgow. The Burton building has a very distinctive design with huge arches while the survival of the metal glazing is also increasingly rare. The name of Burton's is synonymous with this type of shopfront and this is a good example of the Burton house-architects style.

Montague Burton Ltd was founded in 1900 and became a public company in 1929. By that time the number of shops had reached 200. No 21 St Nicholas Street was built at the height of Burton's retail expansion, accounting for the confidence of the design.

References

Bibliography

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