Royal Bank Of Scotland, 3-5 Hope Street, Edinburgh

The Royal Bank of Scotland, located at 3-5 Hope Street in Edinburgh, is a former bank building designed by Sydney H Miller in 1930. This symmetrical, six-storey, five-bay structure showcases inter-war classical architecture, constructed from polished cream sandstone ashlar. The ground floor features channelled banded rustication, with a centrally located architraved door topped by a consoled cornice and a Greek key frieze above. The first floor is panelled, with a similar window at the centre.

Above, the three central bays are accentuated by giant free-standing three-storey Ionic order columns in antis, with glazing divided by bronze panels. The outer bays have pilastered and corniced windows on the second floor, architraved and corniced windows on the third floor, and recessed windows on the fourth floor. The building is capped with a plain entablature and cornice, and a solid parapet that is interrupted by attic balconies.

There is a similarly detailed three-bay return to Hope Street Lane, with a dressed rubble bay beyond. The windows are bronze multi-pane casement types. The roof features a combination of piend and platform copper, with corniced ashlar stacks and grey slates.

Inside, the building has been converted for modern retail use, but remnants of the original banking hall remain, including four massive columns and a compartmented ceiling.