Charlotte House, 2, 4, 6, 8 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh

T Duncan Rhind (of Hamilton Paterson & Rhind), 1903; corner by J D Cairns, 1924; N extension by Cairns and Ford, 1935. Large 4-storey and double attic neo-Baroque retail, cafe and office development on corner site. Polished cream sandstone ashlar with glass and bronze curtain walls. Original narrow 4-bay gabled facades to S and E; Ionic columns and keystoned segmental pediments at 1st floor, rusticated blocks at 3rd; Roman windows and finials to gables, that to Princes Street with extraordinary aediculed niche breaking apex. Later corner section with splayed angle and metal panels, repeating earlier motifs. 3 curtain walled bays between to each elevation. Unifying mutuled cornice and mansard roof with 2 tiers of bipartite dormers, segmentally pedimented at 1st level. Segmentally arched polished granite ground floor. 3 N bays with tripartite polished granite facade at ground; polished sandstone to upper floors palely repeating earlier details; cornice and roof as above.

Timber and metal casement windows. Grey-green slates.

INTERIOR: much altered but fine Art Deco details survive in basement areas and toilets.