28 Rutland Street, Edinburgh

1 Rutland Square dates from around 1830 to 1840 and was designed by John Tait. It is a 3-storey building with an attic over a basement, forming a prominent corner block at the southwestern end of Rutland Street, and adjoining numbers 2, 3 and 4 Rutland Square to the southeast. The basement is constructed from droved sandstone ashlar, while the upper floors are of polished sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. A band course separates the basement from the ground floor, and a banded cill course runs along the first floor, with projecting cills to the second floor. A string course sits below a dentil cornice, and a corniced and pilastered 3-bay attic is centred above, extending slightly over the Rutland Street elevation. Moulded architraves frame the ground floor openings, and ashlar steps with oversailing platts lead to the basement entrance.

On the northwest (Rutland Street) elevation, the building is 5 bays, arranged as 1-3-1, with the central block slightly advanced. A blocked doorway is positioned in the centre of the basement level, with a blocked window in each of the bays to the right and a window to each bay on the left. A consoled and corniced doorpiece fronts the central ground floor bay, sheltering a timber panelled door with a geometric fanlight above. Windows are arranged above, with a dormer window centred on the second floor. The rest of the bays feature regular fenestration, with two bays blocked at ground floor level on the right.

The southwest (Rutland Square) elevation features a segmental arched doorway containing a replacement timber door and a vertical-astragal fanlight, offset to the right of centre at basement level. A window is situated in the outermost right bay, and three bays are present on the left. A consoled and corniced doorpiece is located in the central ground floor bay, framing a timber panelled door with a 4-pane rectangular fanlight. Windows are present in each flanking bay and on all floors above, including the 3-bay attic.

The northeast and southeast elevations are largely obscured by the adjacent buildings.

The building generally features 12-pane timber sash and case windows; 2-pane timber sash and case windows are located at ground floor level on the Rutland Square elevation. The roof is covered with grey slate. A tall, mutual, coped, rendered multi-flue stack is situated to the northeast of Rutland Street elevation, while the attic pilasters on the northwest elevation also serve as stacks, complemented by tall cylindrical cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are in place.

The ground floor and basement have been converted into offices, while the upper floors remain unseen.

Spear-headed cast-iron railings, supported by ashlar copes, run along each elevation, with plain railings leading up to the doors.