Ainslie Park High School, Pilton, Edinburgh

Ainslie Park High School, Pilton, Edinburgh

Art Deco former intermediate school designed by James S Johnston of J & F Partners, completed in 1939. Reglazed in the 1990s. The building comprises a 3-storey principal block of 19 bays arranged as 1-1-15-1-1, built around a quadrangle, with single-storey wings extending to the east and west. The east wing connects to a gymnasium block positioned at right angles. The structure is harled brick with brick and concrete dressings throughout, featuring a brick base course and concrete lintel and sill courses (sill courses only to the rear and south elevation of the main block). All windows are banded with flat roofs throughout.

The principal block's north (entrance) elevation is the most prominent feature. A projecting single-storey entrance centrepiece rises via concrete steps contained by low curved brick platforms. The central recessed doorway has a concrete architrave in a brick surround with replacement doors set within a glazed screen. Curved bays flank the doorway, each with a central window divided by strip pilasters from curved glazing. The parapet above carries the City coat of arms with the motto "NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA", curving around the outer edges of the flanking bays. Fifteen bays of banded windows, divided by strip pilasters, extend along the elevation, flanked by rounded stair towers with entrance bays beyond. Large glass brick insets with two concrete mullions feature in each stair tower. Flat concrete canopies cover the entrance bays at either end of the block. Low-relief concrete figures adorn the blind walls above the entrances: a female figure inscribed "Truth to girls' entrance" appears to the right, and a male figure inscribed "Knowledge to boys' entrance" to the left.

The south (rear) elevation features eight bays of broad banded windows on each floor. Lower recessed square projecting towers stand at either side, each with a large corner window.

The east and west elevations display 15 bays, including two projecting bays of the corner tower to the south. Each elevation has an entrance with brick architrave.

Single-storey wings containing corridors adjoin the main block to the east and west of the north entrance elevation. Small pavilions (toilet and cycle blocks) project forward towards the centre of each wing. The west wing terminates at a later brick and harled block, while the east wing terminates at the gymnasium. Both wings feature banded windows on both sides and entrances with pilaster-like walls advanced from the jambs.

The gymnasium stands to the east. Its principal (east) elevation features paired entrances at the centre with heavy brick architraves, forming the base for a hexagonal brick industrial chimney topped with a clock face that divides two raised, slightly recessed bays above. Six-bay flanking sections create interlocking planes with the entrance centrepiece. Banded windows divided by strip pilasters run across the elevation. A brick base course and brick and concrete band course run through the top of the entrance architrave across the entire elevation. The west elevation adjoins the single-storey west wing of the main block at its centre and is otherwise blank. The north and south elevations feature a central entrance with heavy brick architrave.

Some original steel Crittall windows incorporating casements survive within the quadrangle. Replacement aluminium glazing, a simplified version of the original, has been installed elsewhere. Flat asphalt roofs cover the buildings throughout.

The interior, partly inspected in 1997, retains largely unaltered planning. A reception area occupies the space inside the main entrance, with a central reception window of original glazing directly opposite. Curved reveal doorways open to either side, with engaged columns supporting concrete beams positioned on the opposite side of corridors extending in both directions. Check-patterned terrazzo flooring and similar panelled-effect wall finishes characterise the reception area. Identical finishes appear in the stairwells, though wall finish extends only to dado level. Cantilevered concrete stairs serve the upper floors.

Plain brick piers with concrete coping form a tripartite gateway arrangement north of the main entrance, fitted with steel gates. Outer gateposts connect to a matching pair positioned further south via harled brick walls topped with concrete coping.