Binns, 144, 145, 146, 147 Princes Street, Edinburgh

Binns is a six-storey inter-war classical department store located at the corner of Princes Street in Edinburgh, designed by J R MacKay in 1935. The building features polished cream sandstone ashlar with bronze framing around the glazing. It has a canted corner with a single strip window at the cornice level, marked by a carved letter "B," and a small window above, with the parapet slightly raised to resemble a symbolic tower. An elaborate mechanical clock, which features figures that appear, is cantilevered out at the second-floor level. The ground floor has plate glass shop windows framed by polished black marble fascia. The first floor is characterized by channelled rustication, with a band course that supports giant three-storey Doric order columns in antis above, and curtain wall glazing divided by bronze panels. The cornice is topped with a full ashlar attic storey. The building has three bays facing Princes Street and one bay facing Hope Street. The windows are bronze multi-pane casement windows. The interior has been converted for modern retail use.