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Summary

Description

David Skae, 1816. Former Albany Street Chapel (Church of the Nazarene/Congregational), now used as building society offices. Classical 2-storey and basement 5-bay principal elevation, contrasting 6-bay side elevation. Centre bay to front advanced, narrow bays to outer left and right, advanced in tower-like form. Polished ashlar principal elevation, with broached ashlar basement; V-jointed rustication at principal floor of NW elevation, with polished ashlar 1st floor and rock-faced basement; random rubble SE elevation. Base course; band courses between basement and principal floor, principal and 1st floor; impost band at 1st floor of NW elevation; cill course at 1st floor of NW elevation; cornice at impost level broken by advanced bays at 1st floor, continued as cornice and blocking course to NW elevation.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced single storey and basement porch centred at principal floor, comprising round-arched doorpiece, with 2-leaf 12-panel timber door and radial semicircular fanlight; pilastered angles, blind returns, cornice and blocking course; flanked behind by windows, flanked in turn by blind round-arched niches in bays to outer left and right. Round-arched recess centred at 1st floor, containing Venetian window with Ionic columnar mullions and blind balustraded apron, flanked by round-arched windows with geometric-relief aprons, flanked in turn by blind round-arched niches in bays to outer left and right. Centre bay surmounted by corniced wallhead panel, reading 'ALBANY STREET CHAPEL, ERECTED A.D. 1816'; outer bays breaking eaves with corniced square caps. Flagged basement area.

NW (ALBANY STREET) ELEVATION: 5-bay, grouped 1, 4, slightly advanced. Regular fenestration including windows in round-arched recesses at principal floor; blind aprons at 1st floor. Blind round-arched recess between bay to outer left and penultimate bay from left at principal floor, containing foliate pendant carving, surmounted at 1st floor by foliate swag and patera. Blind wallhead tablet spanning 2 bays, surmounting penultimate bay from right and 3rd bay from right. Irregular fenestration to basement. Flagged basement area.

SE ELEVATION: Predominantly blank. Flagged basement area.

SW ELEVATION: adjoining terrace, see separate listing (39-57A Albany Street).

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Broached ashlar ridge stack; coped, with circular cans.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998. Converted to offices, later 20th century.

RAILINGS AND GATE: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with decorative finials. Gate to left at principal elevation, comprising cast-iron railings with decorative finials, flanked by square- plan iron X-design piers, with urn finials.

Statement of Special Interest

Ecclesiastical building no longer in use as such. Part of the Edinburgh New Town A Group. The Albany Street elevation is probably based on the design of William Sibbald, built to match the west end of 39-57A Albany Street, thus producing an approximately symmetrical street block. The interior, with alterations of 1867 and 1891, was lost in the later 20th century when the chapel was converted by Baron Bercott to offices for the Alliance Building Society. The property has Janus qualities with contrasting principal elevations: the ecclesiastical legacy is evident to Broughton Place, but the Albany Street elevation in ingeniously harmonised in design with the residential terraces which it terminates.

References

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