St. Andrew's House, by Thomas S Tait & Sir John Burnet, Tait and Lorne, inter-war architects
| St. Andrew's House, Edinburgh |
St Andrew's House architect : Thomas Tait
St Andrew's House, 1934-39: inter-war architecture competition win - monolithic, symmetrical and sober from the front, romantically irregular from the South - note the curved glass stair towers reminiscent of the Fagus Shoe Last Factory by Gropius & Meyer. This building was the Scottish Office, the UK government's administrative offices in Scotland.
photo © Adrian Welch 270907
Thomas S Tait [1882-1952] of Sir John Burnet, Tait and Lorne, was Scotland's foremost inter-war architect. He designed many buildings in London, such as Adelaide House on the Thames, as well as the strongly futuristic Glasgow Empire Exhibition Tower.
photos © Adrian Welch
The St Andrew's House frontage is influenced by Grey Wornuim's severe Art Deco verticality RIBA HQ (1934) on Portland Place, London. Edinburgh National Library building (Dr Reginald Fairlie, 1934-55) on George IV Bridge also picks up on this rigid vertical ordering in stone.
St Andrew's House was refurbished 2000-02 by Reiach and Hall Architects. Adjacent buildings can be located off the Calton Hill tour.
photos © Adrian Welch
There is a strong Client link between st Andrew's House and the new Scottish Parliament which is nearby. Sir John Burnet also worked on Burtons Edinburgh, Princes St.
Edinburgh House
photos © Adrian Welch
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St Andrew's House architect - Tait
Some St Andrew's House departments migrated to the Scottish Executive Building upon its completion
St Andrew's House architect - Tait mentor : Sir John Burnet