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Summary

Description

NW range dated and monogrammed James Simpson, 1879; doubled in length W Mercer, 1925, refurbished 1988-9. Substantial symmetrical 4-storey and basement 23-bay U-plan warehouse and office building with Renaissance details. Cream sandstone, polished ashlar to front elevation, squared and snecked rubble with polished dressings to NW, rear elevation with stugged dressings; red facing brick with concrete and sandstone dressings to rear and side of later E range, internal construction cast-iron columns and steel beams. Channelled ground floor, basement and angle pilasters; band course above ground floor; corbel course above 2nd floor; eaves cornice with balustraded parapet divided by panelled dies; segmental-arched windows at ground floor; 1st floor windows architraved with recessed panelled aprons; 2nd floor windows architraved with bracketted cills; ashlar mullions (timber to ground floor windows); bull's-eye windows with radial astragal patterns to scroll-flanked ashlar dormers.

SW (LINKS PLACE) ELEVATION: every 4th bay advanced and breaking eaves; intermediate bays with single windows to each floor except bipartite windows to 1st and 2nd floor of centre bay. Advanced bay to centre with single windows and balustraded balcony to 2nd floor window, raised parapet with large panel inscribed 'SCWS'. Advanced bay to left of centre (centre bay of earlier NW range) with round-arched opening at ground floor (now filled as window), carvings of 'UNITY' and 'CONCORD' to spandrels, small pediments and carved heads over heraldic panels for Leith and Glasgow to angle pilasters. Canted oriel at 1st floor with balustraded parapet; bipartite windows at 2nd and 3rd floor above; wallhead raised in pedimented dormer to French pavilion roof, round clock framed by Ionic columns. Advanced bay to right of centre with round-arched cavetto-moulded doorway, flanked by red granite Doric columns, triglyph frieze, broken dentilled pediment enclosing carved thistles and cartouche with entwined letters SCWS; remaining floors as above with bull's-eye window to dormerhead. Bay to outer left with broken segmental-arched pedimented porch on paired Doric columns and swagged cartouche with date and SCWS inscribed; floors above as centre bay with segmental-arched pediment to dormer.

Bay to outer right as above with single windows to all floors.

NW (POPLAR LANE) ELEVATION: 9-bay; ashlar ground floor and recessed panelled aprons to first 5 bays; rusticated quoins to outer right and centre bay; single windows to each bay and floor; consoled and corniced former doorway (now window) to centre bay.

SE (SALAMANDER PLACE) ELEVATION: 13-bay; bay to outer right ashlar with rounded ground floor and corbelled chamfered corner above. Large single windows to each bay and floor divided by pilasters at 2nd and 3rd floor; 2 slightly advanced stair towers with smaller windows to outer right and 6th bay.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: U-plan with shortened original warehouse to right, 1925 brick extension to centre block and left. Tripartite stair windows to centre block with stained glass.

4-pane timber sash and case windows to front and NW elevation, modern 12-pane sash and case windows to rear of original block; aluminium replacement windows to remaining elevations. Slate roofs, piend and platform with metal flashings; velux rooflights. Moulded eaves gutters; downpipe recesses with ornamental brackets to NW elevation.

INTERIOR: converted to offices 1988/89; false ceilings throughout. Vestibule to westernmost doorway with panelled dado, green and white marble floor, cornices and ceiling rose.

Statement of Special Interest

Rear portion of warehouse to Poplar Lane demolished 1984.

References

Bibliography

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