Edinburgh College Of Art, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh

Edinburgh College of Art, built between 1906 and 1909 by J M Dick Peddie, is a two-storey and attic Beaux Arts school of art, with later alterations and additions. The building is constructed of red sandstone ashlar. The principal, south elevation features a mansard-roofed central pavilion with oeil-de-boeuf windows in the roof, and a tetrastyle Roman Doric portico with a two-leaf timber panelled door and semicircular plate glass fanlight above a heavily key-blocked round-arched opening; a glazed inner door with fanlight is also present. Eight-bay linking blocks flank the centre pavilion, regularly fenestrated; the outer left bay contains a large two-leaf door with a glazed panel above. Corner pavilions are distinguished by paired windows to each floor, flanked by giant Roman Doric columns and corner pilasters, and a stepped blocking course.

The west elevation shows corner pavilions with paired windows to each floor, flanked by paired Doric pilasters, with a channelled pilaster strip to the outer left. A single-storey, five-bay balustraded linking block extends from the corner pavilions, also regularly fenestrated, with a glazed door to the outer left.

The north elevation displays a segmentally-pedimented mansard-roofed central block, and six-bay linking blocks with large windows and rooflights for studios. The corner pavilions feature paired windows to each floor, flanked by channelled pilaster strips, and key-blocked oeil-de-boeuf windows in the pediments. The east elevation is largely obscured by later additions.

The interior features a coffered, Doric-columned entrance hall that leads to a double-return staircase with a stone balustrade, lit from lunette windows and an octagonal cupola. Ionic columns and pilasters are paired on the first floor. A double-height, double-cube sculpture court incorporates a key-consoled arcade at ground floor supporting a first-floor gallery with paired Ionic columns. Large-windowed studios are arranged across three floors to the north.

Predominantly six-pane metal-framed windows are present throughout, covered by green slates. Tall chimneystacks feature a triglyphed frieze and cornice.

Surrounding the building are retaining walls constructed of bull-faced squared and snecked red sandstone with an ashlar parapet. Tall, channelled ashlar gatepiers are capped with mutuled cornices and ball finials; a low flat-arched footgate with a key-console is located to the left, and “EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART” is inscribed in metal letters above. Decorative cast iron gates and gateposts complete the enclosure.

The former Architecture School Building is excluded from the listing.