109, 111, 113, 115 Morrison Street, Edinburgh

109, 111, 113, 115 Morrison Street, Edinburgh

These buildings form part of a larger classical development designed by R & R Dickson in 1826. The group comprises 1-25 Gardner's Crescent (a plain classical crescent of 4-storey tenements with basement) and the Morrison Street block (109-115, odd numbers).

The wider development extends from Morrison Street to form a continuous crescent. Nos 1-6 comprise 17 bays linking Morrison Street with the crescent proper (Nos 7-25A), which sweeps unbroken for 52 bays. The materials are polished sandstone ashlar with droved basement finish.

The architectural treatment of 1-25 Gardner's Crescent follows a consistent classical scheme: a base course and cill course to the 1st floor; plain 2-storey giant order to the 1st and 2nd floors; a projecting cornice beneath the 3rd floor; a banded cornice; and a blocking course. Oversailing platts provide shelter to entrance doors, with doors to the basement beneath. Architraved segmental-topped openings feature at ground floor level, and panelled aprons frame ground floor windows of Nos 7-25A. Fenestration is regular across all upper floors and basement.

Individual properties show variations: No. 1 has a 4-bay frontage with a recessed door to the left and plain moulding to the pediment. No. 2 and No. 4 omit the giant order and non-projecting cornice beneath the 3rd floor. No. 3 includes pilasters between windows of the 3rd floor. Nos 5 and 6 feature two recessed doors to the right and plain moulding to their pediment.

Nos 7 and 7A comprise 5 bays and include a distinctive 5-storey square pyramid-roofed tower that joins the Morrison Street block to the crescent proper. Steps lead to a central 6-panelled timber entrance door. Single windows occupy the bays to the right, whilst the bay to the left forms an angle to the tower. An additional window appears at the uppermost tower floor, and the re-entrant angle of the tower is regularly fenestrated.

Nos 8-25A extend across 48 bays in six sections of 8 bays each, with a regular sequence of windows (4-1-4-1) and doors (1-2-1) at ground floor level. Panelled timber entrance doors feature throughout, with a variety of glazing patterns to the fanlights.

The Morrison Street block (109-115, odd numbers) is a 4-storey tenement with a 4-bay symmetrical section to Morrison Street and a bowed 3-bay corner to Gardner's Crescent. The block employs droved sandstone ashlar with polished sandstone ashlar to No. 115. A base course divides ground and 1st floors; a projecting cornice sits between 2nd and 3rd floors, with a cornice and blocking course above. Voussoirs appear to ground floor openings, and architraves frame 1st floor windows of the bowed section.

On the north (entrance) elevation, a glass shop window occupies the outer left, with two recessed doors to the left of the main frontage and flanking single windows to the right. The bowed section has a 2-leaf timber door with glass panels, flanked by single windows.

Fenestration comprises predominantly 2-pane or 12-pane timber sash and case windows, with basement windows mostly 8-pane sash and case (some 2-pane and 12-pane). Fanlights display a variety of geometric patterns, including semicircular fanlights to all ground floor openings in the bowed section.

The roof is grey slate with a piended profile. Stacks are coped with corniced cans. Individual decorative cast-iron balustrades appear at 1st floor windows of Nos 2, 9, 10, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and to the ground floor window to the left of the door to No. 7. Continuous ironwork balconies front the 3rd floor of Nos 14 and 17 Gardner's Crescent. Cast-iron rainwater goods are throughout.

Original spear-headed wrought-iron railings line the street and flank the platts of Gardner's Crescent.