Royal College Of Physicians, 9-10 Queen Street, Edinburgh

Royal College of Physicians, Queen Street, Edinburgh

This monumental neo-classical college building was designed by Thomas Hamilton and constructed between 1843 and 1845. It sits slightly forward from the terraced street frontage. The library block was added and the hall extended by David Bryce in 1864. A new library was built by David and John Bryce in 1876-77. A conference centre and lecture theatre to the rear were added by Baron Bercott Associates in 1984, and principal rooms were refurbished by Ben Tindall in 1994.

The building stands two storeys in height, with a further blind attic storey, organized in three broad bays. At the centre rises a Tower-of-the-Winds centrepiece. The symmetrical facade is constructed of polished cream sandstone ashlar (since cleaned) with lugged moulded architraves. The base course is plain, above which runs a dentilled cornice with a blocking and cill course at first floor level. The second floor is crowned by an anthemion and palmette frieze, topped by a heavy overhanging modillioned cornice decorated with small lion masks and a blocking course.

The ground floor centrepiece consists of a corniced tetrastyle portico rising on a plinth. The columns are fluted and topped with stylised acanthus and lotus leaf capitals. The full entablature continues the line of the main cornice. Steps rise through the plinth between displaced central columns to twin bronzed panelled doors with a large square etched glass fanlight displaying the College crest set within a diamond panel. On either side of the portico, plain pilasters frame the Physicians' emblem of a staff encircled by a snake. The blocking course above supports a pair of statues depicting Aesculapius and Hippocrates. Above these stands a central distyle portico with fluted Corinthian columns and a modillioned pediment surmounted by a statue of Hygeia, Goddess of Health.

Flanking windows at ground floor level are furnished with scrolled consoles and cornices, while those at first floor level have consoled cornices. The attic storey contains a pair of framed panels bearing griffons. Timber casement windows throughout are of 6- and 8-pane configuration. The roofs are piended with grey slates and some flat copper roofing, supported on mutual stacks of rubble and rendered construction. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater heads serve the building.

The front enclosure consists of a pair of coped ashlar walls replacing the standard Queen Street railings. These walls have a base course and terminate in pedestals surmounted by cast-iron lamps from Shotts Foundry, each topped with tiny gilded cocks and cut-glass bowls by Osler of Birmingham.

Interior

The lobby is flanked by niches containing plaster statues and features a Minton pavement bearing the College crest, with cast-iron lamps. Steps lead through oak two-leaf etched glass doors into the Staircase Hall, which has a bordered grey marble pavement. A stone Imperial stair with return flights and landing is supported on four fluted columns with stylised partly gilt acanthus capitals, mirrored by corresponding pilasters on the walls. The upper doors are bronzed ten-panel doors set within marbled corniced architraves. The ceiling is compartmentalised with modillioned cornices.

At the front of the staircase hall, the Editor's Room occupies the east side and the Vice-President's Room (formerly the President's Room) the west side. The Editor's Room features oak bookcases by William Trotter & Co and a black slate chimneypiece. The Vice-President's Room contains walnut bookcases and a black slate chimneypiece with overmantel and cornice.

The staircase is flanked by cylindrical pedestals bearing bronze urns and putti (added in 1854) and features a gilded scrolling cast-iron balustrade incorporating crests at the landings. Spectacular wrought-iron lamps light the stair, which is fitted with oak hand rails and a new carpet based on the original design, held by brass stair rods. The stair ceiling displays engraved Indian red glass by Chance Brothers. At the first landing, a two-leaf door with consoled pediment opens into the Hall, flanked by niches containing marble busts on pedestals with the mace positioned to the right. The interior is painted in faux ashlar, originally marbled.

The Hall is top-lit and takes the form of a Roman basilica with an attic storey. It is glazed with a cove (glass engraved by David Smith) and features an elaborate compartmented ceiling with gilded vine leaves and a modern central chandelier. The space is lined with Sienna marbled timber columns with gilded Corinthian capitals. The hall now extends seven bays deep by five bays wide, though it was originally only three bays deep; David Bryce extended it while repeating Hamilton's scheme and adding his own ceiling, which was modelled by James Anderson. The full Greek entablature has been recently marbled. The attic storey displays caryatids flanking portrait reliefs of great physicians, the originals by Lazzaroni with later additions by George McCallum and Brucciani. Coffered aisles contain decorative ceiling panels with a dado below, and cast-iron radiator covers with marble tops support busts. The side and far walls feature similar bookcases and veined black marble chimneypieces, while the far end accommodates a dais with ceremonial chairs.

An east-facing door at the first landing leads to a curved panelled corridor opening into the New Library, with later access to No. 8. The main landing has a doorway echoing that to the Hall, leading to the Old Library with an adjacent Reading Room. Both feature compartmented ceilings, veined grey marble chimneypieces and original furniture. A spiral stair ascends to the upper floor, where a mezzanine level displays a model of Craig's College. The top-lit Upper Library features a gallery with brass and glass balustrade and bookcases by J Inch Morrison.

The New Library was built over the garden of No. 8 and incorporates on its outer north wall a carved stone roundel from the old College. The floor is laid in parquet. Five bays of projecting stall bookcases by Whytock and Reid support a gallery with cast-iron balustrade. Spiral stairs occupy opposite corners. Veined black marble chimneypieces flank the end walls. The modillioned cornice and segmental ceiling contain eight linked coffers holding engraved glass, with remaining panels filled with scrolled foliate plasterwork by James Annan. Original furniture and brass chandeliers remain, with the decorative scheme restored in 1994.

Basements contain a kitchen with cast-iron columns beneath the Hall, service rooms and extensive book storage. A flat at No. 10 is also located within the basement level. Access from the Hall leads to modern conference facilities including a steeply raked horseshoe lecture theatre positioned to the rear of Nos. 11-13.