Edinburgh New Town Property Photos, James Craig Scotland, 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. |  |
| 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: |
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| 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. |
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| Earthworks – ‘Ueda’ at the SNGMA 2002 Charles Jencks with Terry Farrell |
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| Former Gymnasium at the rear of the SNGMA 1996 Lee Boyd |
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| 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 |
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| 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: |  |
| 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 |
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| 80 George Street Hugh Martin Partnership Principal Edinburgh New Town street: George Street buildings |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
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| Centotre restaurant, 103 George Street |  |
| Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street |  |
| 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 |
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| National Gallery of Scotland, The Mound 1845-58; (1978) William Playfair A short detour to George St. will take you to ricks: |
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| Rick’s Bar, Hotel & Restaurant, 55a Frederick St Malcolm Fraser Architects subtle, sedate contemporary interior refurbishment |
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| George Hotel |  |
| St Andrews & St Georges Church |  |
| The Dome 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: |
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| Scott Monument, Princes St World-famous Victorian monumentAcross the road is Marks & Spencers, and Jenners, Victorian Department Store |
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| 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 |
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| H&M Edinburgh – Former C&A Store + Jays Dept. Store, Princes St 2004 3D Architects Burtons Department Store |
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| Balmoral Hotel, North Bridge/Princes St 1902 Beattie Opposite the Balmoral, across North Bridge, is the GPO: |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
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| 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 |
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| 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: |
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| Calton Square + Greenside Place , Calton Hill 2002 Allan Murray Architects Calton Square offices |
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| Leith St Bridge Broadway Malyan Architects |
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| 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 |
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| Scottish Provident Building Building 1961 Rowand Anderson Kininmonth & Paul Located in the south-west corner at No.6, currently empty, well-balanced facade |
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| 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 |
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| Former Caledonian Insurance Co., George Street 1938-59 Thomson & Connell Black marble, flanking statues, copper roof and Art Deco fenestration and decoration |
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| No.10 George Street 1994 Reiach and Hall Architects Quiet, mildly decorative and vertically-ordered insertion |
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| In the north-west on the corner with George Street is Standard Life Assurance. |  |
| The Walk incl. New Town Harvey Nichols, St Andrew Square 2002 Comprehensive Design + Lifschutz Davidson Architects |
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| Valvona & Crolla restaurant off Multrees Walk Reiach and Hall Architects |
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| Bank of Scotland HQ., east side of St Andrew’s Square |  |
| Walk North towards Queens Street:Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St 1895 Sir Robert Rowand Anderson a ‘must see’ building |
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| Further along is
No.9 Queen St: No. 8 Queen St Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 28 & 29 Queen St |
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| 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 |
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| Dublin Street Lane 1993 & 2000 Richard Murphy Architects Private Housing Nominee for Stirling Prize 2000 |
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| 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: |
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| Dean Bank Lane housing project 2005 Richard Murphy Architects Private Housing |
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| 17 Circus Lane 2000 Richard Murphy Architects Private Houses Two Circus Lane Houses for Mike Gordon |
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| Circus Lane – ‘Japanese house’ – Richard Murphy Architects Controversial mews house |
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| 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 |
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| Calton Hill The scattered monuments on this hill go a long way to earning Edinburgh the sobriquet of Athens of the North: Calton Hill |
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| Duguld Stewart Monument 1831 Playfair |
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| City Observatory 1818 Playfair Small domed building in centre of hill |
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| Scottish National Monument (to the Napoleonic Dead) 1829 Cockerell, executed by Playfair Designed as a folly (disputed), based on Acropolis |
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| Nelson’s Monument 1816 Burn Dropping ball on top pole signalled time to ships in the Firth of Forth. |
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| St Andrew’s House 1939 Tait Architecture Competition winner |
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| Calton Old Burial Ground, Waterloo Place Obelisk to Political Martyrs Memorial to David Hume Governor’s House |
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| Royal High School 182 Thomas Hamilton Opposite the Royal High School, to the south-east: |
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| Burns Monument, Regent Road 1830 Thomas Hamilton About thirty yards East is the entry down a winding lane to Calton Burial Ground: |
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| Calton Burial Ground A short walk to the East along Regent Terrace (or Regent Road) brings you to Casa Murphy: |
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| 17 Royal Terrace Mews 1993 Richard Murphy Architects |
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Scottish Capital Building Designs
Contemporary Scottish Capital Property Designs – recent architectural selection below:
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