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Summary

Description

W.R. Fleming, 1908. Classical office building with symmetrical elevations; 3 bays to E elevation, 5 bays to S elevation; 3 storeys and attic. Polished ashlar (glazed brick to rear). Dividing band between ground and 1st floors and between 1st and 2nd floors; band course and main cornice above 2nd floor; eaves cornice, blocking course. Giant pilasters dividing central 3 bays to 1st floors of E and S elevations; pilaster strips dividing central 3 bays to attic floors of E and S elevations. Regularly fenestrated.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 2- leaf timber-panelled door with plain fanlight in round-arched opening, flanked left and right by round-arched windows with recessed aprons. At far right, chamfered corner (to ground floor only) with ogee stop-chamfer. Blind window to central bay of 2nd and attic floors.

S ELEVATION: ground level built up to first floor level. No windows to outer left and right bays of 1st floor.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay elevation; white glazed brick with polished ashlar cills and lintels.

N ELEVATION: partly obscured by No. 9-13 Calton Hill, adjoining (see separate List description).

GLAZING etc: plate glass glazing in timber sash and case windows; plate glass glazing in timber T-bar pattern windows to round-arched openings. Corniced stone wall-end stack to N elevation, circular cans. Concealed flat roof; small square pilastered and corniced ashlar plant room to NW corner.

INTERIOR: small entry lobby; timber panelled, lights to sides. Ground floor reception room: timber panelled walls, corniced and coffered ceiling. Elaborate wrought iron lift in main stairwell; timber panelled interior; wrought iron lift barrier forming stair banister through height of building. 2nd floor room facing E : timber panelling, timber chimney-piece and overmantel with mirror; plaster frieze featuring putti, ceiling-cornice, moulded plaster border on ceiling featuring arabesque style motifs; similar frieze, cornice and ceiling treatment in adjacent room. Timber wall panelling and door pieces also extant in further parts of building.

Statement of Special Interest

15 Calton Hill was designed as an extension to the Waterloo Place offices of the Edinburgh and Leith Corporation Gas Commissioners, by the Corporation's chief engineer. A traditional tenement, which had stood on the site since the late eighteenth century, was demolished to make way for the present building (as were tenements at 3,5 and 7 Calton Hill, which were replaced by a plainer workshop block for the Corporation at the same time (not part of Statutory List

The new block (referred to as the engineer's block in the plans) included a public office at ground floor and a small caretaker's flat on the third floor. The chief engineer's rooms, quite lavishly decorated, were on the second floor. The quality of the interior reflects that of the exterior, which was successfully designed to blend in with and mirror the style and detailing of Waterloo Place, built nearly a century earlier.

The building is now a hotel and connects internally with Nos. 9-13 and 3-7 Calton Hill.

References

Bibliography

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