"Best of the best" online poll - 150 Years of the EAA
6 May 2009
A football stadium in Galashiels, a postmodernist fire station in Tollcross, a country house in Gullane and the Scottish National war Memorial at Edinburgh Castle - these are just some of the diverse buildings which feature in an online poll to find the best-loved buildings in Edinburgh, the Lothians, the Borders and West Fife. The poll has been organised by the Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA), a Chapter of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, to mark its 150th year.
To celebrate the wealth and variety of architecture in the area, the EAA Council has chosen three buildings for each decade of the Association's life (45 in total) and is asking members of the public and the architectural profession to vote for their favourites. Robert Black, President of the EAA commented: "There are many who consider Edinburgh to be the finest city in the world. The Edinburgh Chapter of the RIAS extends from Hawick to Kinross and we believe that it also has some of Scotland's finest small towns and most beautiful countryside. We're now looking to find the very best of the best buildings within the Chapter area. It was really difficult for us to narrow down our choices to only three notable buildings for each decade. Some choices might be controversial, but what we really want is for people to let us know what they think by voting."
The buildings featured in the poll range from garages and schools to grand public buildings but a common feature is the place they hold in the affections of people living and working in the area.
Votes can be cast via the EAA website at www.eaa.org.uk. The poll will run until 3rd June when the results will be announced on the website. The buildings chosen will then be highlighted in a new guide to Edinburgh to be published by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.