90, 92, 94, 96, 98 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh

90, 92, 94, 96, 98 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh

A four-storey asymmetrical baronial style building arranged in an eight-bay U-plan with two-storey corner turrets. The main structure was designed by Hippolyte J Blanc in 1880 and extended westward by T P Marwick in 1904. A rear brick bakery was added in 1922 following the infilling of Port Hamilton.

The south elevation, which faces the street, is divided into two sections: four bays to the left (1880) and four bays to the right (1904). The entrance comprises an elaborately carved and moulded doorpiece with a recessed timber door, above which is inscribed 'St Cuthbert's Association' in relief with three decorative panels. The window to the first floor of the central entrance bay is tripartite and breaks the string course; the second floor has a bipartite window. Above this rises a crowstepped corbelled gable to the third floor with colonnettes and moulded pediment. The left section features shouldered pilasters forming a shopfront across four bays, with bipartite windows to the first and second floors and single windows to the third floor. A projecting cornice sits beneath the string course above the first floor (to two bays only). Above are two dormerheads and a single-bay crowstepped gable, along with a small machicolated parapet. The right section (1904 addition) has shouldered pilasters to a three-bay shopfront, with single, bipartite and tripartite windows to the first floor and single windows to higher floors, save for a bipartite window to the outer right of the second floor. Two dormerheads crown this section.

The east elevation is comparatively plain, with two single windows to the first floor flanking a central recessed blind panel, a single window at second floor level, and a single window to the left of the third floor. A moulded plaque breaks the string course to the right, and a crowstep terminates the elevation to the right. A modern extension adjoins at the northeast corner.

The west elevation is the most elaborate. An eight-bay frontage incorporates a bartizan tower at the outer right. Near the centre stands an entrance tower with pyramidal roof, beneath which is a flat-roofed single-storey addition featuring an arched opening. The tower is flanked by slim giant pilasters (scrolled at base) with a hood-moulded pediment above and a keystoned, recessed oculus. The roof is finialled, corniced and pyramidal, swept at the eaves. Above the entrance tower, single windows at intermediate levels are topped by a bracketed balcony to the uppermost window. To the right of this tower are two bays with bipartite windows to the first and second floors and single pedimented windows to the third floor, finished with finials. The outer right corner features a crowstepped gabled bay with single windows to all floors and a two-storey pepperpot-roofed bartizan above. To the left of the central tower, three bays contain bipartite windows at all levels, except the bay immediately beside the tower which has tripartite windows. The outer left corner displays pediment-style crenellations with a bartizan.

The building is constructed primarily of stugged coursed sandstone ashlar to the south elevation and central tower bay of the west elevation. The ground floor of the west elevation employs sandstone rubble with stugged coursed sandstone at upper levels. The east elevation is finished in squared and snecked stugged sandstone, while the north (rear) elevation is of brick, curved to follow the line of the Union Canal (infilled in 1921). Architraved dividing string courses run across the facades. Imitation gargoyle spouts break the uppermost course, with additional spouts to the moulded band course of the turrets. Crowstepped gables and moulded pedimented dormerheads punctuate the roofline. The first floor windows feature moulded architraves. Windows throughout are of stone mullions in bi- and tripartite configurations, with strip quoins and long and short surrounds to upper storey windows.

The roof is of grey slate with piended sections and grey slate gables. The turrets are crowned with conical roofs and finials. Crowstepped gablehead and apex stacks pierce the roofline. The sash and case windows are timber-framed with two and four panes.

To the interior, a surviving decorative lift and lift shaft remains at No 92.

The property is bounded by a low coped red sandstone wall, with modern gates and railings to the frontage.