William Robertson Building (Block C), Arts Faculty, University Of Edinburgh, 42 George Square

The William Robertson Building, also known as Block C of the Arts Faculty at the University of Edinburgh, was designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners between 1965 and 1970, with structural engineering by Blyth & Blyth and construction by Crudens. This four-storey, six-bay building is arranged in an L-shape and is part of a group of university faculty buildings designed in a Modernist style. It is situated on a stepped concrete podium, with a square-plan single-storey lecture theatre located in the re-entrant angle of the structure. The ground rises to the north, allowing the podium level to align with the street level halfway along George Square to the east.

The building features reinforced concrete construction with brick infill and is clad in York stone slabs. The surrounding portico has boarded ceilings. The ground floor has recessed corners that create entrance porches on the east elevation facing George Square. Upper floors are adorned with horizontal bands of timber-framed windows. The lecture block includes a narrow band of glazing just below the parapet and a pair of escape doors.

Inside, stairs connect to other arts faculty buildings at the sub-podium level, although the building does not have its own basement. The lecture theatre is sunken, and the top floor features a pair of light wells that serve as gardens. Throughout the interior, there is timber joinery and plaster walls.