27, 28 Gayfield Square, Edinburgh

27 and 28 Gayfield Square in Edinburgh is a classical double tenement building designed by Hugh Cairncross in 1807. It features a symmetrical three-storey structure with a basement and attic, presenting an 11-bay elevation to Gayfield Square. The ground floor is finished with smooth V-jointed rustication, while the upper floors and the entire centre bay are made of droved ashlar. The basement has droved ashlar, and the rear is predominantly coursed rubble with dressed margins. There are dividing bands between the basement and ground floor, as well as between the ground and first floor, excluding the centre bay. A cill band is present at the first floor, along with a main cornice separating the second and attic floors, and an eaves course. The centre bay is slightly recessed, and the building has regular fenestration.

On the principal elevation, the centre bay at the ground floor features a timber-panelled door with a six-pane fanlight. To the left of the centre bay, there is an advanced section with a two-leaf timber-panelled door that has umbrella glazing and a segmental fanlight, framed by a pilastered doorpiece. To the right of the centre bay, another advanced section has a timber-panelled door with umbrella glazing and a segmental fanlight, with a doorpiece that includes sunk-panelled jambs. Each doorway is accessed by steps and a platt that arches over the basement recess.

The building predominantly has 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, with some 15-pane glazing in the rear elevation. The roof is an M-shape with a valley gutter, covered in graded grey slates, and features stone skews and skewputts. There are corniced ashlar mutual ridge stacks at both ends, two corniced ashlar ridge stacks on the front pitch at the centre, one corniced, rendered ridge stack on the rear pitch, and two corniced, rendered wallhead stacks at the rear, all with circular cans.

The edges of the basement recess and platts are marked by stone copes, with the basement only topped by spear-head and urn finialled cast iron railings.