Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

John Watherston and Sons, 1880-81. 4-storey (mansard attic to centre pavilion), Italianate tenement and shops, angled around corner with pilastered centrepiece and terminal bays; some later additions to shop fronts at ground floor. Sandstone ashlar; painted ashlar, timber and metal shopfronts; channelled ashlar pilasters to centre and terminal bays. Large consoles to centre and outer bays at ground floor with dentilled fascia, arched and consoled doorpieces. 4-light canted bays at 1st 2nd and 3rd floors to centre and terminal bays. Moulded cill courses. Consoled corniced eaves course with some decorative roundels. Round arched and triangular pedimented windows at 1st floor. Corniced 2nd floor windows with decorative entablature and brackets. Shouldered architraves at 3rd floor windows; small roundels to alternating window heads. Balustrade to centre section broken by 3 pedimented and finalled ashlar dormers.

Plate glass to ground floor shop fronts, some in timber some in metal frames. Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case windows to tenement. Steep double pitch M-section roof to centre section; shallow double pitch M-section roof to flanking blocks; grey slates. Corniced ashlar ridge and gable end stacks; modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Special Interest

Confident and well-ordered Italianate design for a commercial and residential block, typifying the best mixed commercial and residential blocks of the 1880s, also exemplified in Shandwick Place (see separate listing). The design takes particular account of the prominent corner site, and the splayed corner and pedimented tripartite windows provide good streetscape.

The Watherston's practice built large parts of Edinburgh's West End speculatively, often conforming to the plans of the Walker and Heriot Trusts. The practice functioned as both architects and builders, and as well as their work in Edinburgh the firm also did country house work in the same way. Their role here is slightly unclear as drawings only survive detailing general elevations, with later elevations for alteration to the site. The Watherston office was also responsible for the design of Nos. 17 and 18 Rothesay Place (see separate listing) which illustrates the variety of sources which they drew upon in their designs.

(List description revised 2009 as part of re-survey.)

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.