4 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh

West Maitland Street, Edinburgh

A classical palace block of terraced houses designed by James Haldane, built circa 1825-1830 with mid-19th century additions. The building comprises 32 bays in an asymmetrical arrangement of polished sandstone ashlar, with the ground floor rusticated. It extends from Morrison Street at the south-west to Torphichen Street at the north-east, with anta central and terminal pavilions marking the composition.

The principal north-west elevation is organised as a series of pavilions and link blocks. At the left, a 4-bay pavilion adjoins Torphichen Street and features a timber panelled door with fanlight to No 1, V-jointed rustication to ground floor openings, and 4-panelled timber doors with large 2-pane semicircular and rectangular fanlights. A 9-bay link block follows, with varied shopfronts at ground floor (some 19th century with fluted pilasters, dentil cornices and ornamental carving) and ironwork balconies to 1st floor windows.

The 6-bay central pavilion contains steps leading to a part-glazed timber door with tripartite rectangular fanlight at No 6, set within a V-jointed rusticated recessed section. Additional shopfronts occupy the bays to the right, with an entrance to a guest house at No 7B. Ornamental ironwork balconies adorn 1st floor windows, and some 2nd floor windows are blocked.

A further 9-bay link block to the right incorporates shopfronts at ground floor, including a 4-panelled timber entrance door with large rectangular fanlight to No 9. Ironwork balconies feature to most 1st and 2nd floor windows, though they are absent from the 3 bays to the outer right at 2nd floor level. Nos 11-14 Maitland Street West at the outer right pavilion are listed separately with Nos 272-278 Morrison Street.

The south-west and north-east elevations are obscured by adjoining buildings. The south-east elevation was not observed in 2000.

Architectural detailing includes base and band courses to Nos 2 and 3, giant pilasters to upper floors of central and terminal pavilions, a cill course to 2nd floor of intervening bays, and string course below cornice to pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversail the basement to Nos 1 and 2. The cornice and blocking course are raised at the central pavilion.

Windows comprise timber sash and case with varying glazing patterns: original 12-pane glazing remains to the 1st floor of Nos 1-3, while other windows feature replacement 2 and 4-pane glazing and original lying-pane glazing to the centrepiece. The roof is grey slate with coped skews and coped ridge. Mutual stacks are rendered, with tall moulded cylindrical cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods complete the external finishes.

The interiors were not observed in 2000.