Documents

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• Type

  Map

  Title

  Map for 7 Richmond Place (Former Royal Blind Asylum School Workshops), Edinburgh (LB30304)

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600015318)

Summary

Description

Peddie and Washington Browne, 1886-88. 3-storey, irregular-plan former workshops with Dutch Renaissance details. Red brick with polished red sandstone dressings and banding. Sandstone base course; capitalled column mullions to bipartite windows; chamfered reveals; moulded band course above 3rd floor; cavetto cornice.

The east (entrance) elevation is 5 bays with a 3-bay single storey wing adjoining set at oblique angle from 2 bays to outer right. Round-arched pend in bay to left of centre; replacement 2-leaf sliding doors; bipartite windows at 1st and 2nd floors; crowstepped gable above. Round-headed bipartite windows at ground in bays to centre and outer left; single windows at 1st and 2nd floors above. Bipartite windows at 1st and 2nd floors in bays to outer right. Single storey 3-bay wing adjoining; central round-arched gateway; 2-leaf boarded doors with small-pane glazing above; iron hinges; round-arched windows in flanking bays.

The north elevation is 6 bays. Single storey monopitch-roofed wing with skylights advanced at ground. Bipartite windows at 1st and 2nd floors in 2 bays to outer left; stepped gable above. Bipartite windows to 1st and 2nd floors in 2 bays to outer right. Single windows to 1st and 2nd floors in 2 central bays.

To the south there is a brick gable adjoining a tenement.

The west elevation is adjoined to earlier workshops. Small-pane fixed for casement windows with top hoppers. Green slate roof; terracotta ridging and chimney cans; ridge ventilator; cast-iron rainwater goods; rooflights to N.

The interior was seen in 2015 and has been subdivided to form student accomodation with a café area to the ground floor. There is no late 19th century detailing apparent to the interior.

Statement of Special Interest

7 Richmond Place was built as the former Royal Blind Asylum School workshops and was formerly linked to the rear with the main Royal Blind Asylum which fronted on to Nicolson Street. The building was designed by Peddie and Washington Browne architects as a later addition to the main building and to provide workshop and other accommodation. The building is of an unusual and high quality design for a building of its type built in brick with stone band courses, a crowstepped gable and columnettes forming window the mullions. The building design creates a prominent elevation to the street front which houses the former workshop areas to the rear.

In 1793, Royal Blind was founded by the Reverend Dr David Johnson, Dr Thomas Blacklock and Mr David Miller. It was established during a time of progressive provision of care and support to disabled people in Europe and it became the third foundation dedicated to improving the welfare of blind people in the world. The Royal Blind asylum first purchased premises at No. 58 Nicolson Street in 1806. Where male resident were producing mattresses, mats, brushes and baskets which could be purchased by the public visiting the showroom. In 1822 they also purchased No. 38 Nicolson Street to provide women with an opportunity to develop employability skills by producing knitted and sewed products. By 1880 product sales included printing and had reached £18,275 and the quality of the work was recognised by receiving gold medal awards at international exhibitions. 7 Richmond Street was subsequently built to provide more workshop space to further develop the production output. An industrial chimney stalk stood to the north east (now demolished).

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2015. Previously listed as '5 And 7 (Formerly 14 And 16) Richmond Place, Former Royal Blind Asylum School Workshops'

References

Bibliography

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