St George's West Church, 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh

St George's West Church is a prominent corner building on Shandwick Place in Edinburgh, designed by David Bryce between 1867 and 1869, with later alterations by Sir Robert Rowland Anderson in 1879-1881. It is a broad-plan Roman Baroque church distinguished by a later Venetian tower on its corner site.

The exterior is constructed in ashlar with narrow vermiculated bands to the tower base. A deep smooth ashlar base course and moulded cill course run around the building. Giant Order Corinthian columns mark the corners to the northwest, southwest and southeast. The main entrance is flanked by paired Doric columns with a divided segmental pediment above. The tower rises in four stages, crowned with an octagonal belfry. Large keystones punctuate the windows, and Gibbs surrounds appear on the windows to the west. Deep eaves with dentilled and consoled cornicing run around the building, complemented by ashlar parapets, balustraded to the south.

On the south elevation, a square-plan tower is incorporated into the southwest corner, advanced to the left. A corniced window sits at ground level, with a tall round-headed window at first floor. Plinths supporting wrought iron urns flank the central pedimented doorway. Above this are four round-headed arcade windows with Giant Order columns on advanced plinths. A corniced tripartite window appears at ground floor level, with round-headed first floor windows above.

The west elevation facing Stafford Street comprises seven bays arranged in a 1-4-1-1 pattern. The advanced outer bays carry Giant Order Corinthian columns on ashlar plinths. The further bay to the right incorporates the tower base. Square-headed Gibbsian first floor windows line the elevation, with a door to the right flanked by paired pilasters and a segmental pediment above. Round-headed Gibbsian windows appear at second floor level. A raised single-storey stone porch stands to the left at the re-entrant angle, abutting the apse to the north.

The north elevation facing Queensferry Street Lane features an advanced apse with an architraved and keystoned circular window containing rose pattern glazing.

The four-stage tower rises from the corner bays of both south and west elevations. Its first stage is corniced and pedimented over two storeys, with clock faces to both south and west. A keystone to the centre carries carved detail of a face. The second stage is pilastered with a foliate entablature and dentilled cornice. The open third stage features a balustrade to its base, topped by a foliate entablature, dentilled cornice, and balustrade with urns at the corners. The octagonal belfry contains round-arched openings and is crowned by a pyramidal copper roof.

Windows throughout are predominantly large eight-pane timber sash and case types. Delicate cast-iron urns stand at the entrance, and a cast-iron lamp with a large glass bowl adorns the west elevation. Cast-iron rainwater goods complete the external fittings.

The interior is a Gibbsian classical design detailed in wood and iron. The entrance hall to the front, now containing a café as of 2008, is split level with stairwells to left and right topped by large cupolas; a later lift has been inserted in the left stairwell. Paired columns to right and left mark the original rear wall of the hall, beyond which a screen of Corinthian columns with timber and glass partition provides access to a large barrel-vaulted hall to the rear.

This rear hall rises two storeys with a U-plan gallery at first floor level. A central coffered barrel vault is flanked by further barrel vaults on either side. These vaults are supported by consoled brackets to the sides and slim fluted Corinthian columns to the gallery, which feature ivy leaf decoration; similar plainer columns directly beneath carry the load to the ground. An apse at the north end features Composite Order columns and is crowned with a semi-dome containing large splayed coffers arranged around a circular rose window, with a triangular open pediment above. Later organ casings occupy the left and right sides at gallery level. Full-height round-arched windows punctuate both sides.

Timber pews with scrolled arms to both ends are arranged in a U-plan mirroring the gallery above. A carved timber font stands in front of the entrance to the hall. A timber communion table occupies the centre with a freestanding lectern behind on a small raised platform. Further stepped platforms rise to the apse, where a large timber organ console with elaborate scroll work and sunken panels is centrally positioned.