9 Gloucester Square, Edinburgh

9 Gloucester Square, Edinburgh

James Gillespie Graham designed this Grade A building in 1822. It is a monumental classical palace block of three storeys with basement, comprising twenty-seven bays arranged in a slightly curved, symmetrical composition across falling ground. The design features an advanced central pavilion of nine bays, with its central three bays and outer bays set forward again, flanked by pairs of six-bay linking terraces containing four three-bay houses, and further flanked by pairs of advanced three-bay terminal pavilions.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor, which returns and terminates at the side elevations. A base course runs the full width, with a band course between basement and principal floor. Corniced friezes appear at impost level at the central and terminal pavilions. Cill courses mark the first floor, with cornices at the first floor of the linking blocks. At the second floor, terminal pavilions display string courses, cornices and blocking courses. Ashlar steps and oversailing entrance platts project above the basement.

On the north principal elevation, the central pavilion of nine bays is articulated with Doric pilasters flanking bays at the first and second floors, positioned at the central three bays and at the outer left and right bays. The central three bays are surmounted by a blank pediment. Four-panel timber doors with plate glass semicircular fanlights appear in bays to the right of centre and at the outer right at principal floor level, while a four-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight occupies the outer left bay at principal floor. Windows in round-arched recesses appear in bays at the centre and left of centre at principal floor, with regular fenestration in all remaining bays at principal floor and to the floors above. A flagged basement area fronts the pavilion.

The pair of six-bay linking terraces on the north elevation comprises four three-bay houses. Four-panel timber doors with rectilinear design rectangular fanlights appear in bays to the right at principal floor at Nos 2 and 3, while four-panel timber doors with plate glass rectangular fanlights occupy the bay to the right at No 7 and the bay to the left at No 8, all at principal floor. Windows fill the remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration to the floors above. At first floor, windows are architraved with cornices, and at second floor they are architraved. Nos 2, 3 and 8 have had floors added. A flagged basement area extends beneath.

The pair of three-bay terminal pavilions on the north elevation are articulated with Doric pilasters flanking bays at the first and second floors. Four-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights occupy bays to the left at principal floor, while windows in round-arched recesses appear in the remaining bays at principal floor. Regular fenestration continues to the floors above. Flagged basement areas front these pavilions.

The east elevation comprises two bays in coursed rubble with broached dressings and tooled long and short quoins. Fenestration is irregular, with windows in the bay to the left at principal and first floors. Leaded stair windows occupy the bay to the right between basement and principal floor, between principal and first floors, and between first and second floors. An infilled window appears in the bay to the left at principal floor.

The west elevation also comprises two bays, predominantly in coursed rubble with broached dressings and tooled long and short quoins. A single-storey piended addition projects at the south-west corner. Regular fenestration appears across all floors, with a modern glazed two-leaf door and multi-pane rectangular fanlight.

The rear elevation was not seen during the 1998 inspection.

Throughout the building, windows are predominantly twelve-pane timber sash and case. Grey slate M-roofs crown the composition. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted. Chimney stacks vary between broached ashlar ridge stacks and coursed rubble wallhead stacks, including a coursed rubble L-plan stack at the south-east corner. Stacks are variously corniced and coped, with circular cans.

Interiors were not seen during the 1998 inspection. No 2 is noted as containing a Gothic parlour at the rear.

The building is fronted by ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes enhance the principal elevation.

Associated Mews Buildings (Nos 8-11 Gloucester Square)

The earlier nineteenth-century mews buildings form an L-plan arrangement with single storey and attic storeys, constructed in coursed rubble with droved ashlar dressings.

The principal elevation comprises a row of four mews buildings. No 8, at the outer left, is recessed and separate, with a pair of modern garage doors centred at ground floor, a panelled timber door with three-pane rectangular fanlight to the left, and a window to the right. A pair of square dormerheads breaks the eaves at attic level.

No 9 is advanced at ground floor and comprises a modern timber door with plate glass rectangular fanlight, centred at ground floor, flanked by a modern garage door to the left and a vertically-boarded timber garage door with glazed upper panels and four-pane rectangular fanlight to the right. A bipartite piended dormerhead breaks the eaves to the left at attic, with a gabletted dormerhead breaking the eaves to the right.

No 10 comprises a pair of modern garage doors at ground floor and vertically-boarded folding doors with glazed upper panels to the left. A bipartite piended dormerhead breaks the eaves to the left at attic, with a piended dormerhead breaking the eaves to the right.

No 11 comprises a modern timber door with three-pane rectangular fanlight and part-glazed infill to a former opening at ground floor to the right, and a vertically-boarded modern garage door to the left. Three windows are irregularly spaced at attic, with a pair of modern skylights.

The west elevation features a four-bay mews building (No 12) comprising four vertically-boarded timber garage doors at ground floor, with glazed upper panels to the pair at the left. Three irregularly spaced timber sash and case windows appear at attic, with a modern skylight to the left.

The south elevation is blank.

The Gloucester Lane elevation is the rear of No 12, now numbered 10C Gloucester Lane, comprising five bays. At ground floor, a modern timber door and modern timber garage door with glazed upper panels and stone lintel occupy the right, with a pair of infilled openings to the left of centre. Five irregularly spaced windows at attic level include a rectangular dormerhead breaking the eaves at the outer right. A coped rubble wall to the right contains a timber pedestrian gate at the outer left and a timber vehicular access gate to the left of centre, adjoining 1 Doune Terrace at the outer right.

The mews buildings display a variety of timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs and cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout. A variety of coped and corniced chimney stacks, with circular cans, appear on the rooflines.