British Home Stores, 64 Princes Street

Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners, 1964-1968 (Kenneth Graham, partner-in-charge; A D Gracie, architect; Ove Arup, consultant engineers); Extended by RMJM, 1971/2 (Ian M T Samuel). 4-storey and basement, rectangular plan, Modernist purpose-built retail store premises. 2nd floor enclosed walkway over Rose Street South Lane connecting 1971 extension facing Rose Street. Service entrances to Rose Street Lane South. Smooth York stone; copper cladding; anodised aluminium framing.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: York stone facing to full-height blank stair towers flanking central section: extensive glazing to ground floor entrance deeply recessed beneath projecting blue-black Bon Accord polished granite fascia, with incised 'BRITISH HOME STORES' lettering; fascia forming 1st floor 'Panel Building' walkway with extensive glazing; 2nd and 3rd floors expressed by projecting white polished Creetown granite faced box in anodised aluminium curtain walling, with vertical panels punctuated with vertical windows at regular intervals; 4th floor recessed above with extensive copper cladding and horizontal glazing. Extensive square-plan copper clad roof sloping inward to central square roof-top terraced garden; continuous timber-framed glazing facing into to terrace; clerestory windows facing exterior. 2-storey, rectangular plan block to rear.

INTERIOR: open plan floor plates supported by 6 large circular shuttered concrete pillars towards middle plan; main circulation to centre of N end of plan, escalators flanking wide stairs to basement, tubular steel handrails, and glazed panelled balusters, original terrazzo treads covered by later marble tiling. Return flight of stairs leading to 1st floor removed (see Notes). Moulded concrete ceiling in honeycomb pattern to 2nd floor stock rooms. Extensive tiling to floors and walls to 3rd floor (former food preparation and storage areas). Deep timber-clad beams and ceiling expressing inward sloping pitched roof construction; open-plan common room with original floor and wall coverings and some original light fittings to E of plan; meeting rooms and offices to N and W of plan, all in Scandinavian style. Plywood panelled and narrow gauge metal handrail circulation stairs to SW of plan.