Edinburgh New Town, James Craig: Buildings

Edinburgh New Town, James Craig Scotland, Photos, Property, Building Pictures

New Town Buildings : Architecture

Contemporary Architecture in southeast Scotland – Historic Properties in the Scottish Capital City

Designed for Lord Drummond

New Town Architecture

James Craig (1744-95) famously won the competition to masterplan an Edinburgh New Town when only 22 years old in 1766; Edinburgh New Town gradually absorbed much of the professional classes from the increasingly ramshackle Old Town. The New Town was mostly built of sandstone from Craigleath Quarry. Princes Street (1805) is fairly uninteresting despite its fame, but Charlotte Square and George Street (after George III) contain many good works. Royal Circus New Town
The following entry is a bit of a detour for those on foot; if it’s too far then start at The Bonham or continue from the last tour at The Caledonian:
Dean Gallery – refurbishment, 73 Belford Road
1999
Terry Farrell & Co.
Refurbishment of former Orphanage by Hamilton, 1833. Farrell was also responsible for the recent masterplan for both this building and the adjacent Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – SNGMA Across the road to the West is the SNGMA:
Dean Gallery building
Dean Gallery
Scotland’s National Gallery of Modern Art – refurbishment
Terry Farrell & Co.
SNGMA – former John Watson’s School by Burn, 1825, The masterplan involves co-ordinated sculptures, landscaping. etc.
SNGMA
Earthworks – ‘Ueda’ at the SNGMA
2002
Charles Jencks with Terry Farrell
SNGMA Earthworks
Former Gymnasium at the rear of the SNGMA
1996
Lee Boyd
SNGMA
The Bonham, 35 Drumsheugh Gardens
1998
Ron Galloway Architect
Jonathan Speirs & Assocs. – lighting & interior consultant

Three Grade A listed Terrace houses combined to create one of the top 20 best new hotels in the world
The Bonham
Next head East towards the centre, down Chester St., right into Queensferry St. – at No.32 is one of three Pizza Expresses by Malcolm Fraser Architects in the city (right) – then left to: Pizza Express
The home of big finance with billions rumoured to pass through the Square’s dozen or so institutions every year. Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) was born at No. 16, Lister at No.9 and Earl Haig at No.34.

The square was designed by Robert Adam who died before its completion.

West Register House, Charlotte Square, 1814, Robert Reid
powerful building occupying former church of St. George with strong vertical emphasis: a superb endpiece to George Street.Georgian House (NTS), No. 7 Charlotte Square, 1792-, Robert Adam – protected and reposed work.

West Register House
Charlotte Square
80 George Street
Hugh Martin Partnership
Principal Edinburgh New Town street: George Street buildings
80 George Street
Edinburgh’s most famous street beside the Royal Mile. Princes Street ‘Galleries’ – original proposal in 2002 for half a mile of mall under Princes St. – current proposal involves mall from Waverley to the Mound.

Edinburgh Galleries Shortlist:

Allan Murray Architects – winner, Dec 2002
Erick van Egeraat
Gareth Hoskins Architects
Page and Park Architects

Princes Street
Princes Street Vision:
Malcolm Fraser Architects in conjunction with the Cockburn Association & the City of Edinburgh Council announce major reworking of Princes St with malls through to Rose StJust west of Castle St, on Princes St: New Club by Alan Reiach, Architect & British Home Stores (Bhs) by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners; nearby is Debenhams
Princes Street proposal
Oloroso rooftop restaurant, 37 Castle Street

Atop a listed Basil Spence building is Richard Murphy Architect’s conversion with base-build by Comprehensive Design Architects.
Designed for the late restaureteur James Sankey and the ITV Chef of the Year 2000 Tony Singh, Oloroso includes a rooftop terrace with views to Fife and the Castle.
Oloroso restaurant
Oloroso Edinburgh
Centotre restaurant, 103 George Street Centotre restaurant
Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street Assembly Rooms
New Town RSA (RSA), Princes Street
1822-26; 1831-36
William Playfair
‘Greek’ style building, Weston Link insertions by John Miller & Partners, Phase I complete mid 2003; Phase II early 2005
Royal Scottish Academy
National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound
1845-58; (1978)
William Playfair
A short detour to George St. will take you to ricks:
National Gallery of Scotland
Rick’s Bar, Hotel & Restaurant, 55a Frederick St
Malcolm Fraser Architects
subtle, sedate contemporary interior refurbishment
Rick's Bar
George Hotel George Hotel Edinburgh
St Andrews & St Georges Church St Andrews & St Georges Church
The Dome restaurant The Dome restaurant
Le Monde restaurant Le Monde restaurant
Opal Lounge, George St
2002
Malcolm Fraser Architects
Creative basement conversion as quality nightclubBack on Princes St is the monument to Sir Walter Scott:
Opal Lounge
Scott Monument, Princes St
World-famous Victorian monumentAcross the road is Marks & Spencers, and Jenners, Victorian Department Store
scott memorial
Jenners, Princes St
often described as the Harrods of the North, refurbished by Michael Laird Architects
Princes Mall, (former Waverley Market) Princes St, 1984, BDP; subterranean shopping complex with black ‘spikes’ above ground evoking the brooding form of St. Mary’s Cathedral at the far end of Princes St
Jenners Edinburgh
H&M Edinburgh – Former C&A Store + Jays Dept. Store, Princes St
2004
3D Architects
Burtons Department Store
H&M Edinburgh
Balmoral Hotel, North Bridge/Princes St
1902
Beattie
Opposite the Balmoral, across North Bridge, is the GPO:
Balmoral Hotel
Former New Town General Post Office – GPO
1861-66
Robert Matheson; additions by Oldrieve 1909; HM Partnership 2004
The shell has been retained and since redeveloped
Waverley Gate
General Register House, Princes St, (opposite North Bridge/Balmoral Hotel)
1774
Robert Adam
From here one can head North to the later phase of New Town – down from Queen Street – or head up Calton Hill.
General Register House
Waverley Station
Edinburgh’s main railway sits between the Old Town and the New Town. Numerous proposals to redevelop, especially in the last decadeHead back to St. Andrew’s Square or visit
Waverley Station
New Town St James Centre

Hugh Martin Partnership
John Lewis Edinburgh, Leith St
1987
Basil Spence ‘Food on 1′: New Town St James upper level conversion
Comprehensive Design Architects – CDA
Opposite the latter is possibly the site of the largest new development in Edinburgh:
John Lewis Edinburgh
Calton Square + Greenside Place , Calton Hill
2002
Allan Murray Architects
Calton Square offices
Calton Square
Leith St Bridge
Broadway Malyan Architects
Leith St Bridge
Square contains Melville Monument (image right). Going clockwise, starting in the east side, we have the following:-
Dundas Mansion
1774
Chambers
Royal Bank of Scotland branch
In the southeast corner is the red sandstone Prudential Assurance at 14 South St. Andrew St by Waterhouse
Melville Monument
Scottish Provident Building Building
1961
Rowand Anderson Kininmonth & Paul
Located in the south-west corner at No.6, currently empty, well-balanced facade
Scottish Provident
Former Scottish Widows building

Basil Spence, architect
In the south-west corner (Sainsbury’s at street level) is a rather austere retail / commercial property: St Andrew Square
St Andrew Square
Former Caledonian Insurance Co., George Street
1938-59
Thomson & Connell
Black marble, flanking statues, copper roof and Art Deco fenestration and decoration
Caledonian Insurance
No.10 George Street
1994
Reiach and Hall Architects
Quiet, mildly decorative and vertically-ordered insertion
George Street building
In the north-west on the corner with George Street is Standard Life Assurance. Standard Life Assurance
The Walk incl. New Town Harvey Nichols, St Andrew Square
2002
Comprehensive Design + Lifschutz Davidson Architects
Harvey Nichols Edinburgh
Valvona & Crolla restaurant off Multrees Walk
Reiach and Hall Architects
Vin Caffe Edinburgh
Bank of Scotland HQ., east side of St Andrew’s Square Bank of Scotland Edinburgh
Walk North towards Queens Street:Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St
1895
Sir Robert Rowand Anderson
a ‘must see’ building
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Further along is

No.9 Queen St:
Royal College of Physicians

1845
Hamilton
late Greek Revival

No. 8 Queen St
1771
Robert Adam
BBC Edinburgh Offices, 5 Queen St
jmarchitects

Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 28 & 29 Queen St
Simpson & Brown with Michael Laird Architects

Royal College of Physicians
The second phase of Edinburgh New Town – Reid; Elliot; Playfair; Graham; Raeburn – was built between 1802 and around 1823, to the North and off the plateau (one of the finest elements is Moray Place, right).
Edinburgh New Town Phase 2
Moray Place to West of Phase 2
Dublin Street Lane
1993 & 2000
Richard Murphy Architects
Private Housing
Nominee for Stirling Prize 2000
Dublin Street
You can continue on your own tour to William Playfair‘s
Royal Crescent, 1823, Gillespie Graham’s Moray Place, 1822, Playfair’s St Stephen’s Church, 1828 at St. Vincent St. Great King Street (R.L.Stevenson lived at 17 Heriot Row)Down on the Water of Leith is a Pizza Express by Malcolm Fraser Architects at 1 Deanhaugh St (right); close by some contemporary housing, see below:
Stockbridge Building
Dean Bank Lane housing project
2005
Richard Murphy Architects
Private Housing
Dean Bank Lane
17 Circus Lane
2000
Richard Murphy Architects
Private Houses
Two Circus Lane Houses for Mike Gordon
New Town Houses
Circus Lane – ‘Japanese house’

Richard Murphy Architects
Controversial mews house
Circus Lane House
Moray Place
1996 & 2000
Richard Murphy Architects
Private House
Refurbishment of a listed New Town house won one of Scotland’s seven RIBA Awards in 2002, shortlisted for RIAS Scottish Building Award 2002
Moray Place
Calton Hill
The scattered monuments on this hill go a long way to earning Edinburgh the sobriquet of Athens of the North: Calton Hill
calton hill memorial
Duguld Stewart Monument
1831
Playfair
Calton Hill Edinburgh
City Observatory
1818
Playfair
Small domed building in centre of hill
City Observatory Edinburgh
Scottish National Monument (to the Napoleonic Dead)
1829
Cockerell, executed by Playfair
Designed as a folly (disputed), based on Acropolis
Scottish National Monument
Nelson’s Monument
1816
Burn
Dropping ball on top pole signalled time to ships in the Firth of Forth.
Nelson's Monument
St Andrew’s House
1939
Tait
Architecture Competition winner
St Andrew's House
Calton Old Burial Ground, Waterloo Place
Obelisk to Political Martyrs
Memorial to David Hume
Governor’s House
Calton Gaol
Royal High School
182
Thomas Hamilton
Opposite the Royal High School, to the south-east:
Royal High School
Burns Monument, Regent Road
1830
Thomas Hamilton
About thirty yards East is the entry down a winding lane to Calton Burial Ground:
Burns Monument
Calton Burial Ground
A short walk to the East along Regent Terrace (or Regent Road) brings you to Casa Murphy:
Calton Burial Ground
17 Royal Terrace Mews
1993
Richard Murphy Architects
Royal Terrace Mews

Edinburgh Walking Tours

Edinburgh New Town : Stockbridge

Edinburgh New Town restaurants

Other buildings in the north of Edinburgh New Town, ie Phase Two:
CDA project for Applecross: Eyre Place
Housing by Reiach and Hall + Oberlanders Architects: Fettes Row terraces
Mansfield Traquair Centre

Buildings / photos for the Edinburgh New Town Architecture pages welcome

Edinburgh