Midlothian County Buildings, George Iv Bridge, Edinburgh

This is a substantial, three-story and basement, former County Buildings dating from 1900 to 1904, designed by J McIntyre Henry in an Edwardian Palladian style. The building occupies a key, sloping site in Edinburgh’s city center, with a three-story basement at the north side and bordering the Signet Library at the northeast. It is oriented with primary facades to the north (three bays along High Street), east (ten bays facing Parliament Square), and west (13 bays overlooking George IV Bridge).

The building is constructed of ashlar stone, with channelled rustication on the ground floor. Architectural details include a moulded base course, a cornice above the ground floor, band courses, a deep dentilled cornice, and a balustraded parapet with plain panels. Angle pilasters in the Ionic order are a prominent feature. The first-floor windows are distinguished by pedimented Gibbsian surrounds, with alternating segmental-arched pediments and balustraded aprons. The second-floor windows have raised architraves. Some windows are of the Venetian style.

The west-facing principal elevation features a centrally advanced, three-bay portico with fluted Ionic columns, extending to the first and second floors and incorporating a balustraded balcony. The central entrance porch is distinguished by a blocked double-Doric columned doorpiece, a Doric frieze, and a segmental-arched pediment with a carved tympanum. The doorway itself is round-arched, with a key stone, and includes recessed glass and timber swing doors. A slightly advanced central pedimented section is located to the north.

The east elevation includes an off-center, advanced three-bay section with Venetian windows on the first story, separated by engaged, double Ionic columns and featuring a finely carved decorative frieze.

The windows are predominantly timber, with a 6-over-9-pane configuration on most windows and 6-over-6-pane on the top floor. Venetian windows have multi-pane sash and case windows. The roof is predominantly flat, with the later addition of air vents and rooflights.

The interior, viewed in 2007, is lavishly decorated and retains many original features. The entrance hall boasts marble pilasters and a timber-columned screen. A wide stair has a decorative metal balustrade and a timber handrail, leading to a square upper hall with a marble floor, a central viewing well, and round-arched arcading supported by marble Ionic columns and pilasters. The upper hall features a coved ceiling with a decorative carved frieze depicting classical figures. A large barrel-vaulted room displays richly decorative plasterwork to the ceiling, a dentilled cornice, corniced walnut panelling with Corinthian pilasters and pedimented doorpieces, and windows with fluted Corinthian pilaster architraves. Other rooms are characterized by timber panelling, timber fire surrounds, and overmantels. Throughout the building, doors are six-panel timber doors.

A low stone balustrade is present along the east, south, and west sides, incorporating vase-shaped balusters and stone coping.