Mortuary And Chapel, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh

Mortuary and Chapel, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh

This classical-style complex was designed by J M Dick Peddie in 1880, with substantial later extensions and additions that continued into the 20th century. The east wing was added between 1886 and 1891 by Dick Peddie, followed by a west wing in 1899, also by Dick Peddie. A further extension to the east was constructed in the 1920s, comprising a plain classical doctor's residence and a link block. In 1994, J & F Johnston added a 3-storey U-plan range to form an enclosed courtyard to the rear. The complex comprises 2-storey and attic ranges with 2-storey blocks. The principal elevation is constructed in cream sandstone polished ashlar, while side and rear elevations use stugged and snecked sandstone.

The south (entrance) elevation shows the original 1880 block as a symmetrical 2-storey structure with an attic, arranged in 11 bays grouped 3-5-3. This central section is flanked by recessed, 2-storey, 4-bay ward blocks, with the west ward block extended by a further 4 bays. The entrance block itself is a tall central element featuring a 5-bay recessed centre flanked by shallow, advanced, 3-window bays. A plinth runs at ground level, with cill courses at ground and first floor levels. A cornice band between ground and first floor is corbelled out on moulded consoles to form balconies at the projecting 3-window bays, with another cornice band between the first floor and attic. An eaves cornice and blocking course cap the section. A bold Grecian entrance porch occupies the centre, flanked by a pair of single windows at ground level. First-floor windows throughout are divided by a pilastrade with attached Roman Doric columns. Attic windows are divided by pilastrades with recessed panels and, over the central entrance bay, by tapering pilasters flanking a blind recessed panel. A pediment is raised over a triglyphed frieze at the centre bay, breaking the wallhead.

The ward blocks each contain 4 bays with single windows at ground and first floors. The extended west block has a blind first bay at ground level, with a keystoned niche at first floor; the outer 3 bays are identical to the original 4 bays. First-floor windows are divided by a wide pilastrade.

The east and west wings extend north-south either side, forming a U-plan to the rear. Single, identical, pedimented bays flank the original block at the Salisbury Place elevation. Each wing is 2-storey with full-height, 4-light, canted windows, and features a secondary pediment over the bay windows. Acanthus casterion tops the main pediments. The cill course and cornice are continued across the wing additions.

The former doctor's residence is a 3-storey, 4-bay block with very slightly advanced central bays. It has a cill course at first floor, plain eaves course, clasping pilasters, and a blank central inscription panel at first floor, topped by a cornice and blocking course. This block is linked to the west wing by a contemporary, single-bay, recessed entrance block with a pilastered ground floor.

Windows to the principal elevations are plate glass, timber, sash and case, with single-pane upper sashes and 2-pane lower sashes subdivided by a horizontal glazing bar. Distinctive timber pilaster mullions with roundel detail divide the first-floor windows over the central entrance bay. The rear elevations show a variety of glazing patterns. The west wing features fixed plate-glass upper sashes with hopper-swivel lower panels; elsewhere, sash and case windows have either 4-pane upper and lower sashes or 2-pane upper with 4-pane lower sashes. The roofs are grey slate, pitched and piended.

The interior features an elaborately detailed principal staircase with cast-iron balusters and timber handrail, topped by a decorative plaster cornice at the cove-ceiling with a lantern over. A Ledmore marble floor was installed in 1994. A secondary service stair has cast-iron balusters and timber handrail, with a diminutive Corinthianesque cast-iron newel post.

The mortuary chapel and carriage houses, dating to circa 1890, are arranged in an L-plan as a single storey with basement. The structures are built in squared and snecked rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings. The mortuary chapel, advanced to the east, features a tripartite window in a round-arched panel to the south and a 2-leaf, round-arched, panelled door with decorative cast-iron hinges to the north. The carriage houses comprise a 3-bay section to the south with a doorway to the outer left and doorways to the basement sub-station to the centre and outer right, and a 5-bay section to the north with 3 segmental-arched carriage gates to the centre, bays to the right, and a doorway and single window to the bays to the left. A tunnel links the mortuary chapel to the hospital basement.

The boundary is defined by walls, gatepiers and railings. Two pairs of square-plan, corniced gatepiers with pyramidal caps stand at Salisbury Place, with original iron railings present.

The striking and unusual colour scheme of the principal staircase and entrance hall follows an earlier precedent by Peddie and Kinnear devised for Belmore, Cupar.