5, 7 London Street, Edinburgh

London Street, Edinburgh

This substantial palace block was designed by Robert Reid from 1819. It forms a symmetrical composition of 51 bays in total, comprising a central 9-bay pavilion of 4 storeys with basement, flanked by a pair of 3-storey linking terraces each of 16 bays with basement, which are themselves flanked by a pair of 4-storey terminal pavilions of 5 bays each with basement.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone. The principal floor features V-jointed rustication, while the basement is finished in broached ashlar sandstone. A base course runs at ground level, with band courses between basement and principal floor, and between principal and first floors. Corniced friezes at impost level appear in the outer bays at principal floor of both the central and terminal pavilions. Cill courses mark the first and second floors, with cornices and blocking courses at the second floor of the linking terraces and at the third floor of the central and terminal pavilions. A cornice runs at the second floor of the central and terminal pavilions. Windows at first floor to the pavilions are corniced and architraved. Stone steps and entrance platforms overshade the basement areas.

The central pavilion's north elevation presents 9 bays with 3 central bays and advanced outer bays. A 6-panel timber common stair door with a blind semicircular fanlight is centred at principal floor (No. 17), flanked by 6-panel timber doors with umbrella semicircular fanlights at the third bays from left and right (Nos. 15 and 19). Metal wall plaques to the right of No. 15, dated 1974, commemorate the composition of the Icelandic National Anthem "O Guð Vors Lands" by composer Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson and poet Matthias Jochumsson in this house in 1874. The remaining principal floor bays contain windows set in round-arched recesses in the outer left and right bays, with regular fenestration above. The first floor windows are architraved, pedimented with consoles in the outer bays and corniced with consoles elsewhere. A lunette window is centred at the third floor. A wallhead panel spans the central bay. The basement area is flagged.

The linking terraces comprise two 16-bay ranges. The terrace to the right (Nos. 5–13) features 6-panel timber doors with radial rectangular fanlights in the third and sixth bays from the right, and the third and eighth bays from the left. The terrace to the left (Nos. 21–35) contains 4-panel timber doors in the third, fourth, and sixth bays from the right, and the third, fifth, and sixth bays from the left, each with a variety of rectilinear and decorative rectangular fanlights. A small window sits between the third and fourth bays from the right in the left terrace. Remaining bays contain regular fenestration to principal, upper, and basement floors. The basement areas are flagged.

The west terminal pavilion features advanced outer bays and contains 4-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights in the bays flanking the centre at principal floor. The common stair door appears to the right (No. 1). Windows in the round-arched recesses occupy the remaining principal floor bays. Regular fenestration continues above and to the basement, with architraved first-floor windows corniced with consoles in the central three bays and pedimented with consoles in the outer bays. A lunette window is centred at the third floor. The basement area is flagged. A return section of 5 bays to Drummond Place forms 37 Drummond Place, which is separately listed.

The east terminal pavilion is similarly composed with advanced outer bays, 4-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights flanking the centre at principal floor, and windows in round-arched recesses in the remaining principal floor bays. First-floor windows are architraved, corniced with consoles in the central three bays and pedimented with consoles in the outer bays. A blind lunette window is centred at the third floor. The basement area is flagged. An adjoining terrace to the left forms the separate listing for 42–54 Broughton Street.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows are employed throughout. The roofs are grey slate. Polygonal piended slate-hung dormers appear at Nos. 5, 7, and 33, with pairs of such dormers at Nos. 13, 21, and 25. Cast-iron rainwater goods serve the building. Ridge stacks are in broached ashlar and rendered finish, shouldered at No. 7, with wallhead stacks spanning the centre bay at the third floors of the terminal pavilions. Stacks are coped, some with cornices, and topped with circular cans.

The interiors were not inspected at the time of survey in 1998.

Ashlar copes surmount the cast-iron railings, which feature decorative finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes complete the street frontage.