Classrooms And Lecture Theatre, Laboratory, Offices, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

Classrooms And Lecture Theatre, Laboratory, Offices, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

An irregular group of buildings of different dates grouped around two courtyards, spanning from the early 19th century to circa 1930, designed by Robert Matheson, W T Oldreive and others.

The 1910 Laboratory Building was designed by W T Oldrieve for HM Office of Works and constructed between 1909 and 1910, with completion circa 1930. It is a 2-storey building with attic storey in a U-plan, presenting a symmetrical elevation to Inverleith Row. The central entrance bay features an open pediment with a 2-leaf timber door set in a broad chamfered and roll-moulded depressed-arch architrave with prominent keystone. Above the door is a large transomed and mullioned staircase window with an arched tympanum in the pediment bearing the date 1910, flanked by narrow windows with prominent keystones. Five-bay wings extend to each side, divided by giant Doric pilasters, with transomed and mullioned windows at ground level and bipartite mullioned windows at first floor. Four flat-roofed tripartite dormers light the attic storey. A blocked eaves cornice runs across. A pedimented gateway to the outer right has 2-leaf timber panelled gates in roll-moulded depressed-arch architrave with prominent keystone. The rear north wing is regularly fenestrated, while the rear south wing is irregularly fenestrated and features a semi-octagonal 2-storey turret at the corner with cornice and blocking course. The building is constructed of sandstone ashlar to Inverleith Row and roughcast brick elsewhere. Windows predominantly feature 4-, 6- and 10-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames, with top-hinged timber windows to the sides. Rendered and corniced stacks with yellow clay cans support a graded grey slate roof. The interior is plain with some original timber doors.

The Lecture Hall was designed by Robert Matheson for HM Office of Works in 1851. It is a single-storey pedimented octagonal structure with a central lantern, joined to adjacent buildings by a classroom to the east. The pedimented elevations comprise 3 bays with single-bay canted corners; the north and south elevations feature tabbed oculi in the pediments. An advanced closed porch to the west has a tripartite window beneath a mini-pediment and 2-leaf timber panelled doors to both returns; steps lead to the south door only, with steps to the north door removed. Windows flanking the porch have panelled bracketed aprons. The building is constructed of polished sandstone ashlar with base course, eaves course and blocking course, raised long and short quoins, and raised window margins. Large timber sash and case windows feature lying-pane glazing. The piended roof is finished in graded grey slate, crowned by an octagonal timber lantern with weather-vane.

The Classroom and other rooms, also designed by Robert Matheson in 1851, adjoin the lecture hall to the east. The original 5-bay classroom is built of coursed grey sandstone with raised ashlar window margins at ground level. An early 20th-century drawing studio addition occupies the first floor and features very large windows to the north. Windows throughout employ lying-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames. Two stone plaques to the rear, south of the building, commemorate Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour and John Williamson.

A circa 1880 2-storey extension of the museum adjoins to the left, constructed of yellow sandstone with long and short quoins and raised window margins, fenestrated with 4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. A circa 1840 former museum building stands behind, with a circa 1830 former Curator's house adjacent, adjoining the centre of the 1910 laboratory block and only discernible from the south courtyard.

A circa 1840 former classroom and museum stands adjacent to the former curator's house, also only discernible from the courtyards.

The 1964 Herbarium and its circa 2000 additions are not included in this listing.