8 Albyn Place, Edinburgh

8 Albyn Place, Edinburgh

This is a Grade A listed building designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822. It forms a symmetrical classical palace block consisting of a nine-bay central pavilion flanked by a pair of nine-bay linking terraces, with a pair of five-bay terminal pavilions at each end.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor level. Ashlar steps and entrance platforms overhang the basement.

The principal south elevation of the central pavilion comprises a nine-bay, four-storey structure with basement. The central three bays and the outer left and right bays are advanced, with the central three bays topped by a blank pediment at the third floor. Engaged Doric columns flank the central three bays and the outer bays, while panelled pilasters flank the bays at the third floor. Four-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights are positioned in the bays to the left of centre and at the outer left and right. The remaining bays at principal elevation contain windows in round-arched recesses. The floors above have regular fenestration with a blank central bay at the third floor. A flagged basement area extends across the elevation.

The south elevation of the linking terraces comprises two three-storey and basement structures, nine bays wide, forming six three-bay houses. Panelled timber doors with plate glass rectangular fanlights are positioned in bays 3rd, 4th and 7th from the central pavilion. No 8 has a decorative rectilinear design rectangular fanlight. The door to outer right (No 2) is part-infilled with glazed upper panels. Windows occupy the remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration above. Flagged basement areas are present. The arrangement is mirrored on each side.

The south elevation of the terminal pavilions consists of two three-storey and basement, five-bay structures. Doric pilasters flank the bays at the first and second floors, with panelled pilasters flanking the bays at the third floor. Four-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights are centred at principal floor (blind at No 1). The remaining bays contain windows in round-arched recesses at principal floor, with regular fenestration above. Flagged basement areas are present.

The east terminal pavilion returns onto Wemyss Place as a four-storey elevation (forming 1-3 Wemyss Place, listed separately). The west terminal pavilion returns onto Forrest Street as a five-bay elevation (forming 1 Forrest Street, listed separately).

Throughout the building, windows are predominantly twelve and fifteen-pane timber sash and case windows. Anthemion and palmette window guards appear in the bays at the first floor of Nos 4, 6 and 11, and the east return of the east terminal pavilion, at the second floor of No 2, and the third floor of No 11. The roofs are covered in grey slate with cast-iron rainwater goods. Ridge and wallhead stacks vary in treatment, being either broached or rendered, with cornices on some; they are coped with circular cans.

The railings have ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with predominantly spear-headed and other decorative finials.

The interior of No 6 features an entrance hall with a coffered dome on pendentives over the staircase and a panelled drawing room.

Associated with the main building are the mews at 2-4 Wemyss Place Mews, dating to the 19th century. These comprise a row of three single-storey and attic mews buildings constructed in coursed rubble with droved and polished ashlar dressings.

The principal north elevation has an irregular arrangement of panelled timber doors and vertically-boarded timber garage doors, including multi-leaf folding doors with glazed upper panels and a modern sliding door. Various windows occupy the ground floor and attic, with a pair of gabletted windows breaking the eaves at No 2. A timber hay-loft door is centred at the attic of No 2.

The east elevation presents a blank gable. Windows throughout the mews are predominantly fifteen-pane timber sash and case windows. Anthemion and palmette window guards appear at the first floor of Nos 4, 5 and 11, to the outer right at the first floor of the west elevation, and at the first floor of the east elevation. The roofs are covered in grey slate with cast-iron rainwater goods. Stacks vary in treatment, coped with circular cans, and the skews are coped.