Darroch Annexe, St Thomas Of Aquin's High School, 7 Gillespie Street, Edinburgh

Darroch Annexe, St Thomas Of Aquin's High School

Built around 1910, probably designed by John Alexander Carfrae, this is a 3-storey symmetrical T-plan Renaissance building constructed in squared and snecked red sandstone rubble with red sandstone ashlar dressings. The building features an advanced base course, mullions and transoms to large bipartite windows, transoms to large single windows, mullions to small bipartite windows, long and short surrounds to windows, strip quoins, cornice, skews and skewputts.

The north (principal) elevation has a 9-bay central section arranged symmetrically with advanced pilasters terminating in bracketed cornices above the first floor. These cornices support pedestals decorated with relief lozenges, which are surmounted by attached columns to the second floor with obelisk finials. The ground and first floors of the central section have large single windows flanking large bipartites, with a cornice to the first floor. The second floor has small single windows flanking a small bipartite. The gabled sections flanking the central 3-bay section feature large single windows flanking large bipartites to all floors, with carved emblems of learning between the first and second floor bipartites and a lozenge in relief to the gables.

The recessed sections of the north elevation comprise 6 bays with 3-bay gabled outer sections advanced. Large single windows flank large bipartites to both floors of the outer sections, with a semicircular hoodmould to the central window of the second floor. A 2-leaf timber door opens into a segmental-arched doorway to the ground of an advanced 5-stage tower to the innermost bay, with a carved panel surmounting the doorway. Above this is a small leaded bipartite window, with small bipartite windows to the next two stages. A cornice leads to a trefoil-headed window set in a recessed panel at the upper stage, above which runs a stone balustrade. Small bipartites are positioned to the two lower stages of the bay adjacent to the stair towers, a large bipartite to the ground of the remaining bay, and small bipartites to the uppermost floor of both bays.

The northwest and northeast elevations are 7-bay, with 2-bay gabled sections to the outer left and right respectively. These feature 2 single windows to all floors. Large bipartites occupy the ground and first floors of the next four bays, with small bipartites to the second floor of alternate bays. Large bipartites breaking the cornice in hoodmoulded semicircular pediments with ball finials are positioned to the second floor of alternate bays. Small bipartites appear to all five stages of the bay at right angles to the stair tower.

The southwest and southeast elevations are 4-bay with 3-bay sections gabled to the outer right and left respectively. Large single windows flank large bipartite windows to both floors of the gabled bays, while single windows occupy both floors of the remaining bay.

The south elevation comprises 17 bays grouped 6-5-6. The left 6-bay section has an alternative pattern of 2 and 3 single windows. An entrance porch with a 2-leaf timber door and fanlight is positioned at ground level in a bay to the right. The central gabled bay features tripartites at ground and first floor level with bipartites at the second floor. Bipartites appear at all floors in the flanking bays. Single windows occupy the ground and first floor in the flanking canted bays with a small bipartite at the second floor. Another entrance porch to the left serves the 6 bays to the right, also with a 2-leaf timber door and fanlight, with two single windows aligned above. A single window is positioned at ground in the bay to the right, followed by 3 single windows to the next 3 bays. The outer right gabled bay features a central tripartite window with a single window at ground level.

The windows comprise an assortment of small-paned timber-framed designs: large bipartites with 36 panes, single windows with 12-pane sash and case, and small bipartites with 4-pane sash and case. The roof is covered in grey slate with a piended finish, coped and corniced stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods.

Internally, the building retains boarded dados and cupboard fittings, timber gallery seating, and timber and glass concertina doors to a central interior space. An original ventilation fitting remains in the attic.

The boundary includes coped, squared and snecked rubble walls to Upper Gilmore Place with spiked iron railings. Two sets of banded and corniced red sandstone gatepiers with ornamental wrought-iron gates form the entrances. Various additional teaching blocks have been built to all elevations.