Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Society, Links Place, Edinburgh

Scottish Co-Operative Wholesale Society, Links Place, Edinburgh

This substantial warehouse and office building comprises a northwest range dated and monogrammed by James Simpson in 1879, which was doubled in length to the west by W Mercer in 1925 and refurbished in 1988-9.

The building is a symmetrical four-storey structure with basement, arranged in a U-plan with 23 bays. It displays Renaissance architectural details throughout. The construction uses cream sandstone in polished ashlar to the front elevation, squared and snecked rubble with polished dressings to the northwest, and stugged dressings to the rear elevation. The later eastern range employs red facing brick with concrete and sandstone dressings. Internal construction features cast-iron columns and steel beams.

The ground floor is channelled with basement and angle pilasters, with a band course above the ground floor and a corbel course above the second floor. The eaves cornice supports a balustraded parapet divided by panelled dies. Ground floor windows are segmental-arched with timber mullions, while first floor windows are architraved with recessed panelled aprons. Second floor windows are architraved with bracketed cills. Dormer windows feature bull's-eye lights with radial astragal patterns set within scroll-flanked ashlar surrounds.

The southwest elevation (Links Place) presents the most elaborate frontage. Every fourth bay is advanced and breaks the eaves line. The centre bay features a raised parapet with a large panel inscribed 'SCWS'. To the left of centre is an advanced bay with a round-arched opening at ground floor (now filled as a window), carved spandrels bearing 'UNITY' and 'CONCORD', small pediments and carved heads above heraldic panels for Leith and Glasgow. A canted oriel occupies the first floor with a balustraded parapet, above which are bipartite windows to the second and third floors. The wallhead rises in a pedimented dormer to a French pavilion roof, with a round clock framed by Ionic columns. To the right of centre is an advanced bay featuring a round-arched cavetto-moulded doorway flanked by red granite Doric columns, a triglyph frieze, and a broken dentilled pediment enclosing carved thistles and a cartouche with entwined letters 'SCWS'. The outer left bay displays a broken segmental-arched pedimented porch on paired Doric columns with a swagged cartouche bearing the date and 'SCWS' inscription. The outer right bay features single windows to all floors.

The northwest elevation (Poplar Lane) comprises nine bays with an ashlar ground floor and recessed panelled aprons to the first five bays. Rusticated quoins mark the outer right and centre bays. A consoled and corniced former doorway (now a window) occupies the centre bay.

The southeast elevation (Salamander Place) extends 13 bays. The outer right bay is ashlar with a rounded ground floor and a corbelled chamfered corner above. Large single windows to each bay and floor are divided by pilasters at the second and third floors. Two slightly advanced stair towers with smaller windows are positioned at the outer right and sixth bay.

The northeast (rear) elevation displays the U-plan arrangement, with the shortened original warehouse to the right, a 1925 brick extension to the centre block, and the left section. Tripartite stair windows to the centre block feature stained glass.

Windows include four-pane timber sash and case windows to the front and northwest elevations, modern twelve-pane sash and case windows to the rear of the original block, and aluminium replacement windows to the remaining elevations. The roofs are slate with piend and platform sections, metal flashings, and Velux rooflights. Moulded eaves gutters and downpipe recesses with ornamental brackets feature on the northwest elevation.

The building was converted to offices in 1988-89, during which false ceilings were installed throughout. The vestibule to the westernmost doorway retains a panelled dado, green and white marble floor, cornices and a ceiling rose.