NEW CLUB versus BRITISH HOMES STORES
British Home Stores page
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The Cockburn Association office is filled with a vast array of books, policy documents and letters covering a huge chunk of Edinburgh’s recent architecture history. Two of the well-thumbed reference books in this collection are ‘The Buildings of Scotland - Edinburgh’ (BOS) [by Gifford, McWilliam, Walker with Wilson] and McKean’s ‘Edinburgh - An Illustrated Architectural Guide’.
The New Club, Edinburgh
In my recent examination of Princes Street I find an element of disagreement between these two books as to which is the best Princes Street Panel building. McKean promotes the New Club (Alan Reiach, above) as ‘by far the best result of the Princes Street Panel recommendations’ while BOS suggests British Home Stores (Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners, below) as ‘the first and best of the redevelopments that followed the Princes Street Panel guidelines’.
British Home Stores, Edinburgh
The Princes Street Panel was convened to recommend principles and standards that should be applied to the control of building development and to securing appropriate environmental standards in the First Edinburgh New Town. Its work (1954-1979), however, is remembered for its effects on Princes Street and especially the first floor walkway that was intended to run the length of the street, which was never completed.
image from princes st gardens © adrian welch: 2005
Of the examples that exist I would suggest that Bhs and the New Club are the only buildings that are of architectural rather than of historical interest. At present it is only the latter that is listed Category A by Historic Scotland as ‘In-situ reinforced concrete, with plate glass and Rubislaw granite facings’. I am therefore starting a campaign to remedy this mistake and anyone who would like to carry a placard please contact the Cockburn Association office.
Now I am the first to admit that in terms of interior the New Club wins hands down mainly because it rescued a few pieces of Baroque panelling from the skip when they demolished the Old Club. My focus, however, is on the exterior of the buildings where I believe that Bhs is a graceful addition to Princes Street.
new club edinburgh - image © adrian welch: 2005
This is a great example of 20th Century architecture in Edinburgh using materials, glass and pale granite that were not part of the traditional pallete. If we look at what has been built since Bhs no one has succeeded in designing a building that adds value to the Princes Street.
A quick glance at other buildings by the same firm in Edinburgh reveals the Royal Commonwealth Pool, David Hume Tower, Edinburgh Airport, Wester Hailes Education Centre but unfortunately includes the former Lothian Regional Headquarters on George IV Bridge. You can’t win them all!!
Martin Hulse, Cockburn Association May 02
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