Mcewan Hall, Teviot Place, Edinburgh

McEwan Hall, Teviot Place, Edinburgh

Robert Rowand Anderson designed this building in 1875 as part of the University Medical School complex. The design was revised in 1886–7, and construction took place between 1887 and 1897, with the roof engineered by D.M. Westland. The building is a prominent 3-storey structure with an attic, arranged on a D-plan and serving as an Italian Renaissance-style graduation hall. It is symmetrically composed and prominently sited overlooking Bristo Square, with a pair of semi-circular projecting stair towers. A single bay engaged tower stands at the northwest corner, and a 4-storey tower at the southwest corner. The rear (west) elevation is attached to the Medical School North Quadrant by means of a smaller internal light well courtyard.

The exterior is constructed in sandstone ashlar. A base course and moulded cill course at ground level are followed by entablatures with moulded architraves and dentilled cornices at the ground, first, second and attic floors. The ground and attic floors have plain friezes, while the first floor displays a decorated frieze with foliage and figurative carving, and the second floor features a garland-carved frieze. The eaves cornice is supported by carved volutes and surmounted by an open balustrade with blind plaques and a blocking course at attic level. Full-height square buttresses punctuate the façade. At first floor level is a shell-headed niche with decorative stand, while at second floor a shell-headed niche sits within a pedimented surround. Oculi appear at ground and attic levels. The first floor is otherwise plain except for an inscription and a corniced, garland-carved frieze surrounding the stair tower windows. At second floor, a Corinthian blind arcade features red sandstone column shafts, with oculi above at attic level.

Doorways are predominantly round-arched with blind oculi carving to the surround. Most are fitted with 2-leaf timber panelled doors with blind fanlights. The principal entrance is more elaborate, consisting of a richly detailed round-arched door surround flanked by Corinthian pilasters. The tympanum is carved, and 2-leaf half-glazed entrance doors with a rectangular fanlight are set within a roll-moulded and bracketed rectangular door surround. Windows throughout feature fixed pane leaded glazing.

The roof is a shallow ribbed dome surmounted by a tall colonnaded decorative lantern, with pyramidal slate roofs covering the flanking towers.

The interior preserves a very fine original Renaissance design and decorative scheme. The vaulted entrance hall contains a stone curved stair at the southwest corner that leads to a vaulted gallery. This gallery is decorated with mosaic floor tiles, painted heraldry, and an original light fitting at first floor level. The principal space is a large D-plan graduation hall of Greek theatre style, surrounded by vaulted brick circulation corridors. Balconies at first and second floors sit behind a double-height stone columned round-arched arcade on squared pillars at ground level, with round windows surmounting each arch. A rectangular apse to the stage side houses the organ. Fitted timber pews with folding seats line the outer edges, while the main hall space has a parquet floor. Ornately coloured and painted figurative decoration by William M Palin covers the main hall space, executed between 1892 and 1897. Timber boarded details line ancillary areas and the corridor behind the stage. The riveted cast iron substructure of the internal dome is visible from the upper room in the south tower, accessed by a small turned stair.

The organ was designed and installed in 1897 by Robert Hope-Jones (1859–1914). It was remodelled in 1953 by Henry Willis and Sons and refurbished in 2011, at which time the bellows were re-leathered while retaining the original ranks, swell box, resonators, and diaphones.