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Summary

Description

Robert Adam, 1791; design amended by Robert Reid, 1810; later attics. Symmetrical 3-storey basement and attic 19-bay neo-classical palace block formerly consisting of 7 houses; 1 of pair flanking entry to George Street. Polished cream sandstone ashlar. Rock-faced basement; V-jointed rustication at ground floor; cill course to 1st and 2nd floors; cornice. Round-headed tripartite doorways, with radiating glazing.

W (CHARLOTTE SQUARE) ELEVATION: 5-bay centrepiece, arcaded at ground with door at centre, and round-headed windows in round-arched recesses; outer bays slightly projecting at ground with giant Ionic columns to upper floors with balustrades between column bases; entablature and cornice; at 1st floor, centre window with consoled pediment, flanking windows corniced. 3-bay end pavilions with tripartite windows to centre at ground and 1st floors, latter with columns, blind balustrade and shallow blind arch; pair of festooned panels at 1st floor; doorways to inner bays. Bay adjoining S pavilion with Ionic columned porch added by John Watherston & Son, 1902. Cills lowered at 1st floor of Nos 41 and 45, with decorative cast-iron balconies to latter. Pyramidal roofs to pavilions, variety of dormers and mansards to houses between.

N (GEORGE STREET) ELEVATION: 3-bay, with modern ashlar-faced shopfront built out at ground. Pediment (facing that opposite) and large timber canted window to right, blind windows to left.

Coursed rubble gable end to N with windows at centre.

Timber 12-pane sash and case windows; 15-pane or plate glass to extended windows, 4-pane to centre house (No 43). Corniced ashlar stacks; grey slates.

INTERIOR: No 40 with grey and white marble chimneypieces, corniced doors; circular stairwell and domed cupola, with stove niche at ground. No 41 with glazed timber screen and revolving door; the ground floor opened up with Ionic arcade and glazed timber partition. No 44 was designed by Robert Reid for himself, with unique interior. Unseen 1995.

RAILINGS, LAMP STANDARDS: cast-iron spearhead railings and original lamp standards.

Statement of Special Interest

The centrepieces were redesigned by Robert Reid, without Adam's large lunette windows, which relate awkwardly on the W side of the square with breaks between the houses. No 45 was lived in from 1898 to 1938 by Sir Robert Philip who campaigned against tuberculosis.

References

Bibliography

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