Ukrainain Catholic Church Of St Andrew, 24 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh

Ukrainian Catholic Church of St Andrew, 24 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh

This Gothic church was designed by Sloan & Balderston in 1822 and subsequently adapted by Archibald Thomson around 1880. It is built of squared and snecked sandstone with lightly droved dressings, stugged stonework to the rear and side elevations, and a brick vestry extension to the rear with stugged sandstone dressings. The rectangular nave is oriented north-west to south-east with a gabled main entrance bay angled to the street corner. The elevations are symmetrical, mirrored about a chamfered corner at the centre, creating a dynamic impact at the road junction. A base course runs around the building, with cill courses at ground floor, first floor and gablehead window levels, and an eaves course marks the upper edge.

The spire is the most distinctive feature: a square, battered and slate-hung timber tower in eastern European style rises over the main entrance bay. The belfry is timber boarded with blind round-arched arcading, surmounted by a bell-cast pyramidal roof and a cross finial at the apex.

The entrance elevation displays considerable decorative richness. The main door has roll-moulded reveals and chamfered arrises to its shouldered opening. Above it sits a trefoil window flanked by circlets, all set within a slightly projecting gabled panel. A pointed-arch recess of double order rises above this, with a stop-chamfer at mid-height. A large circular window with roll-moulded surround occupies the upper section, and stepped triple slit windows fill the gablehead. Flanking buttresses with octagonal and panelled pinnacles support pyramidal slated caps topped with diminutive onion dome finials surmounted by gilded crosses.

The north and west gables are treated identically. Each has three pointed-arch windows at ground floor level, a pointed-arch plate-traceried window at first floor containing a triple lancet with a circular window above, and stepped triple slit windows in the gablehead. Square stair towers with slightly projecting gabled subsidiary entrances flank the outer edges of these gables symmetrically. The subsidiary entrances feature pointed-arch door recesses with shouldered and chamfered arrises and circlets above. Circular windows with roll-moulded surrounds occupy the first floor of each tower, with lancets to the tower side elevations at intermediate level. Square pyramidal roofs with cross finials cap each tower.

To the rear (south-east), the nave is a plain box form with a single lancet at each end of the side elevations. The south-east elevation has windows to the outer right and left, each comprising double lancets supporting circular openings. The single-storey vestry extension over a raised basement projects from the centre, with a chamfered corner to the west. Leaded windows of square, diamond and geometrical patterns contain coloured glass secured by iron bars. Four-pane and plate glass timber sash and case windows light the vestry, while heavily panelled two-leaf timber doors with diagonal boarding form the entrances to the vestibule. A boarded two-leaf timber door accesses the vestry basement. Grey slate roofs with concealed flashings cover the entire building, piended to the spire, stair towers, pinnacle caps and vestry. A coped three-flue chimney stack rises from the south-east gable apex, topped with circular cans.

The interior reveals the building's eastern European Orthodox heritage. The polygonal nave is equipped with a splayed U-plan timber gallery to the west, north-west and north walls, panelled and raked, supported on cast-iron columns with circular moulded capitals. Pitch pine pews and wainscoting line the nave. The roof structure is open timber, with wall-posts and curved rafters supported on low stone corbels. Pointed-arch doorways lead to the entrance vestibule, which is lit by quatrefoil windows positioned over glazed two-leaf doors and round-arched windows with central timber columns, all symmetrically arranged and glazed with leaded glass. A shallow pointed-arched recess occupies the centre of the south-east wall, containing within it a smaller pointed-arched recess that houses a painting of Christ. Flanking pointed-arched doorways to the vestry feature stained glass in the doors and circular windows above. Gold-painted mouldings accent the arches throughout. A low timber screen with ball finials at the corners surrounds the altar. The vestibule is curved and narrow, with symmetrically disposed stone gallery stairs at either end fitted with cast-iron balusters and timber handrails. A pointed-arch altar niche opposite the main entrance door serves as a Lady Chapel, containing a painting of the Madonna in eastern European style. A plain cornice runs along the ceiling, with roll-mouldings framing the window surrounds.

Modern decorative wrought metal railings line the street frontages, with sliding gates marking the entrances. A filigree arch spans the main door, embellished with a shield and cross at its centre.