College of Art Edinburgh, Scottish Capital University Campus Photos, Architect, Lauriston Place Building History
Edinburgh College of Art : Architecture
Art School at Heriot-Watt, Scotland
post updated 1 November 2023
Design: J M. Dick Peddie and George Washington Brown
Dates built: 1906 – 1909
Address: 74 Lauriston Pl, Edinburgh EH3 9DF, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 131 651 5800
Modern College building: photo © Adrian Welch Sep 2006 with lumix camera
Edinburgh College of Art is based in Edinburgh’s Old Town and is one of the oldest and largest Schools of Art in Europe. This Scottish higher education facility is located in three Edinburgh campuses: Lauriston Place, Grassmarket and Inverleith.
photo © Adrian Welch Sep 2006
Edinburgh College of Art – Building
Edinburgh College of Art – Description
The Drawing Academy of Edinburgh, was founded in 1760 and later became (what is now known as) Edinburgh School of Art, formally founded in 1906, when it commenced relocation to Lauriston Place. The School joined with Heriot-Watt University in 1968, hence the School of Architecture was called Heriot-Watt School of Architecture for many decades.
Modern college building photo © Adrian Welch, Sep 2006
Edinburgh School of Art is designed by J M. Dick Peddie and George Washington Brown, 1906-1909. It is in a very heavy Beaux-Arts style, notably the south-facing entry to a grassy court. The College is built in old red sandstone – a sign in Edinburgh generally of a late Victorian building, such as the Caledonian Hotel.
old college architecture photo © Adrian Welch Sep 2006
Edinburgh College of Art – History
Edinburgh College of Art was listed Category A in 1970. The design is credited specifically to J M Dick Peddie, with input from James Forbes Smith and George Washington Browne. The collegewas built in1906-9 as a ‘two-storey and attic’ symmetrical Beaux Arts building with mansard-roofed angle pavilions. Constructed of red sandstone ashlar, the school was built on the site of the Municipal Cattle Market.
The view from Johnston Terrace and the Castle Esplanade were considered important, and the high French roofs were intended to make a picturesque contribution to the city skyline. The college was built round two rectangular courts. The western court (roofed over 1925) containing a glass pavilion for pleinair painting, the eastern the double-height sculpture court intended to house the collection of Antique casts; casts of the friezes from the Parthenon line the walls of the corridor.
new college building photo © Adrian Welch Sep 2006
Another building design in the Scottish capital by Dick Peddie and George Washington Brown:
Standard Life Assurance: Corner Block, George Street / St Andrew’s Square
1897-1901
Edinburgh College of Art Exhibition : Nicholas Grimshaw Exhibition + Lecture
Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2009
12 – 26 Jun : Art & Design
19 Jun – 3 Jul : Architecture & Landscape Architecture
Mon – Thu 10am – 8pm; Fri – Sun 10am – 5pm
26 Jun – 3 Jul 10am – 2pm
Edinburgh College of Art award: RMJM Award for Art and Architecture
To the south-east of the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is the Architecture Building (1961) designed by the ECA Professor of Architecture, Ralph Cowan.
A decade later Edinburgh College of Art returned to old red sandstone with The Hunter Building, at the southern edge of the site, onto Lauriston Place, (1972). ECA’s Inverleith campus & the School for Drawing, Painting & Sculpture – is next to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.
Contact ECA – phone: +44 (0) 131 221 6072
Founded: 1760
Some key information current at the time of updating this post, 1 November 2023:
Principal: Christopher Breward
Total enrollment: 1,656 (2009)
Postgraduates: 885 (taught postgraduates)
Westport Edinburgh School of Art by Reiach and Hall Architects.
Edinburgh College of Art Talks
The built context to the south west – the subtle architecture of the Lauriston Fire Station.
ECA RMJM Architecture Competition design image:
Website: www.eca.ac.uk
Adjacent buildings include Evolution House – in 2006 ECA took space in this building.
Westport Edinburgh : ECA Evolution House facility, an addition to the north of the original buildings.
Edinburgh Properties
Significant Edinburgh Property – Selection:
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
photo : Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Virgin Hotels Edinburgh Victoria Street
Comments / photos for the Edinburgh College of Art Architecture design by J M. Dick Peddie and George Washington Brown at 74 Lauriston Place in the Scottish capital city, UK, page welcome