The Maybury Roadhouse Edinburgh Art Deco Building, Scottish architecture gem
The Maybury Roadhouse – An Art Deco Gem of Edinburgh
9 Mar 2020
Think of Edinburgh and you no doubt think of the narrow closes of the Old Town and the sweeping avenues of the New. However, there is more to Edinburgh architecture than meets the eye. Not everything in this vibrant city is higgledy-piggledy medieval streets or Georgian grandeur. The Maybury Roadhouse is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Scotland’s capital.
The Art Deco Movement
Art Deco is one of the most recognisable art movements of the twentieth century. Though it had been growing steadily in the early years of the century, it seriously took flight following the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Art Deco became simpler. It began to use materials like plastic and stainless steel; a departure from the ebony and ivory used a decade early before the Depression.
Many iconic buildings were constructed in the Art Deco style, including the Chrysler Building in New York City and Mayakovskaya in the Moscow Metro station. It’s simple lines and shapes are easily distinguishable and always make for a striking building.
The Maybury Roadhouse
Nowadays, the Maybury Roadhouse is a casino. You don’t have to go here to play some great casino games – since they can be found at online destinations like the NetBet casino – but you may still want to swing by to examine this piece of Art Deco history.
The Roadhouse lies against one of Edinburgh’s busiest junctions. Between the Edinburgh city bypass, the Glasgow Road, and Edinburgh Airport might be a strange place to find this type of building. However, we doubt the original builders knew that this corner of the capital would be so busy. Relax, unwind and play blackjack for money.
It was built in 1935 by James Broom and William Patterson. In addition to the Roadhouse, they built homes and villas all over Edinburgh. The area was named after Sir Henry Maybury, a prominent British civil engineer. Though the Roadhouse itself has been standing since the 1930s, many of the original features are still intact. It was converted into a casino in the 1990s and it still remains a treasured landmark to the people of Edinburgh.
Swing by the Maybury Roadhouse Soon!
The Roadhouse is a key part of Edinburgh’s history. Though we may be more inclined to think of areas like Dean Village when thinking about Edinburgh, it is important to remember that this city has gone through many different styles. The 1930s were a key era of building throughout Britain and some truly memorable buildings were created in this time.
The Roadhouse is one of the most recognisable sights in Edinburgh. Nearly every resident will pass by it at some point. Next time you are in Edinburgh, you should definitely consider heading to the monument, especially if you are a fan of Art Deco architecture! It was one of the best examples of Art Deco in architecture that Scotland has to offer, and it is still standing well against the test of time.
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Scottish Architecture
Contemporary Lothian Buildings
Maybury Roadhouse, Maybury Road, Gogar, west Edinburgh, Scotland
Date built: 1936
Design: Patterson & Brown
photo © Adrian Welch
Well-known Art Deco casino and hotel on road to airport: white, modern & streamlined with glitzy interior.
Comments / photos for the The Maybury Roadhouse in west Edinburgh casino venue, southeast Scotland, UK, page welcome