4, 5, 6 Queen Street, Edinburgh

John Brough, 1784; subsequent alterations and additions (see below); whole refurbished by Hurd Rolland and Partners, 1985-90. 4 distinct 3-storey attic and basement former classical houses with set back links and unifying mutuled cornice; now united as BBC studios and offices

(No 4 was 2 houses, formerly Nos 3 and 4; No 6 is pair to No 7, see separate listing). Droved cream sandstone ashlar, badly scarred to

Nos 4 and 6.

NO 4, E HOUSE (FORMER NO 3): 3-bay. Steps to former door to right with moulded architrave and consoled cornice; now blocked as window; steps oversailing basement survive but access denied by railings. Large tripartite timber box dormer with pilasters, cornice and central pediment. Small gabled hall to rear by David Bryce, 1859-60.

W HOUSE: 3-bay; moulded architraves. At left, platt oversailing basement area to deep-set cavetto moulded doorpiece with consoled cornice and 2-leaf panelled door, plate glass fanlight; tripartite window to right at ground with panelled frieze and cornice. Dormer as above. 3-bay gabled hall with arched windows to rear by David Bryce, 1849-51.

Further alterations were carried out by G Washington Browne.

NO 5: 5 bays recast by J Dick Peddie, 1847-8; further alterations by Archibald Scott, 1857, and Kinnear & Peddie, 1880. Moulded architraves, corniced at ground and 1st floors; band course above 1st floor. Pedimented neo-Greek porch at centre, with 2-leaf panelled doors. 3 piend-roofed timber dormers..

NO 6: 3-bay. To right, architraved doorpiece with cavetto reveals, consoled cornice, replacement panelled door and plate glass letterbox fanlight. Segmental-headed bipartite timber dormer to left.

6-bay hall added to rear of Nos 5 and 6 by Dick Peddie.

Timber sash and case 12-pane windows (casements to large dormers). Grey slates; ashlar-coped mutual skews; coped ashlar stacks.

INTERIOR: all 4 properties very considerably refurbished, integrated and adapted to BBC use. Front rooms have largely been kept intact with some panelled dados and chimneypieces; notably Boardroom in No 5, with fine carved chimneypiece, and former Drawing Room in No 6, with an original plain moulded marble chimneypiece. Former Reading Room to rear of No 3 has been much altered and divided; hall to rear of No 4 with floor inserted at gallery level but retains open timber roof and some balustrading. Principal glory is Dick Peddie's Synod Hall, cube within Greek cross with stairs in each corner; proscenium arch, anthemion freize, panelled coved ceiling supporting 2-tier lantern (covered over but still intact), and galleries to sides and rear.

RAILINGS: cast-iron spearhead railings; plain wrought-iron railings to No 5.