Larger versions of these images are located at the foot of the page. Basic Site Details Name: | Edinburgh Industrial Museum | City or county: | Edinburgh | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | A Listed | Grid ref: | | Notes: | | Alternative NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes |  | Museum of Science and Art | | |  | Royal Scottish Museum | | |  | The National Museum of Scotland | Yes | |  | The Royal Museum of Scotland | | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes |  | Museum | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes |  | Brighton Street | Yes | |  | 44, Chambers Street | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes |  | 25 March 1857 | | | First sketch design |  | 1859 | 1860 | | Alternative Fowke and Matheson designs for façade |  | 8 January 1859 | | | Second design |  | 1861 | 1865 | | Central and eastern sections built |  | 1861 | | | Contract plans |  | 23 October 1861 | | Foundation stone | |  | 1862 | | Design exhibited | Fowke design |  | 1871 | 1875 | | Western part of central building completed to Fowke's design |  | 1885 | 1889 | | Western section built to Fowke's design, but with simplified treatment of western flank |  | 1885 | 1889 | | West wing |  | 1910 | 1914 | | South-east extension |  | 1930 | | | Staircase |  | 1934 | 1937 | | Brighton Street extension |  | 18 November 1966 | | Contract offered | Contract awarded to James Turner & Co. Ltd., for alterations cosating £60,000 |  | 1991 * | | Competition announced | International design competition for new extension announced. 371 Designs were submitted, making this the second largest international architectural contest held in the UK to date. |  | 30 November 1998 | | Completion | Completion of the New Museum of Scotland extension on Chambers street, George IV Bridge |  | 2011 | | Redevelopment | Internal remodelling |  | c. 2001 | 2003 | Alteration/conversion | Alterations to the New Museum of Scotland Annex were completed in 2003. These alterations included the inclusion of a revolving glass door at the base of the tower entrance, the insertion of a reception desk to the Tower foyer, the removal of a stone balustrade in the North Wing, changes to the staircase treads, the masking of external windows with opaque film and the insertion of guttering and downpipes to the external facade.
Benson and Forsyth noted that these changes, which had been enacted without their consultation, had a serious negative impact on the quality of the New Museum of Scotland Annex. |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes |  | Francis Fowke | Architect | | 1857 | 1865 | Original design (central and eastern sections built) |  | H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | Architectural practice | B | 1861 | 1865 | Central part built to Fowke's design, with Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works |  | Robert Matheson | Architect | B | 1861 | 1865 | Central part built to Fowke's design, Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works (1st phase) |  | H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | Architectural practice | C | 1870 | 1874 | Western part of central building completed to Fowke's design, with Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works (2nd phase) |  | Robert Matheson | Architect | C | 1870 | 1874 | Western part of central building completed to Fowke's design, with Matheson as architect for Scotland in the Office of Works (2nd phase) |  | H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | Architectural practice | D | 1885 | 1889 | West wing |  | Walter Wood Robertson | Architect | D | 1885 | 1889 | West wing |  | William Thomas Oldrieve (sometimes William Thomas Oldgrieve) | Architect | | 1910 | 1914 | South-east extension |  | H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | Architectural practice | E | 1930 | | Staircase |  | H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | Architectural practice | A | 1934 | 1937 | Brighton Street extension wih J Wilson Paterson in charge |  | John Wilson Paterson | Architect | A | 1934 | 1937 | Brighton Street extension (as architect for Scotland) |  | James Turner & Co. Ltd | Builder | S | 1966 | | Contract awarded to James Turner & Co. Ltd., for alterations |  | Alan Forsyth | Architect | F | 1991(?) | 1998 | |  | Benson and Forsyth Architects | Architectural practice | F | 1991 * | 1998 | Construction of the New Museum of Scotland extension on Chambers Street and George IV Bridge. |  | Gordon Benson | Architect | F | 1991(?) | 1998 | |  | Anthony Hunt Associates | | S | 1991 | 1998 | Structural engineers for the New Museum of Scotland extension |  | O'Rourke Scotland | Contractor | S | 1991 | 1998 | Concrete Contractor for the New Museum of Scotland extension |  | Gareth Hoskins | | J | 2011 | | Internal remodelling |
* earliest date known from documented sources. ClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes |  | The board of Trustees of the National Museum of Scotland | client for the 1990s extension |
Related Buildings, Structures and DesignsChild Structures
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes |  | Benson and Forsyth Architects | 2003 | The Museum of Scotland - Changes | | | Self published note on the changes to the fabric of The New Museum of Scotland. |  | Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M | 1984 | Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) | | Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd | p186-7 |  | Graves, Algernon | 1905 | The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of exhibitors and their works… | 1905-6 | London: Graves and Bell | 1862, no 892 |  | Historic Scotland Lists | | | | | |  | Princeton Arch Staff | 1995 | Rassegna 64: Edinburgh | | Princeton Architectural Press | pg 63-71 Richard Murphy, "Edinburgh: The Potential" |  | Scottish Civic Trust | 1983 | Historic Buildings at Work: a guide to the historic buildings of Scotland used by Central Government | | Scottish Civic Trust/Property Services Agency, Department of the Environment | pp86-7 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes |  | Architect and Building News | 1930 | Jul-Dec | | p222 |  | Architects Journal | 7 May 1998 | | | p28 |  | Builder | 22 November 1862 | XX | | |  | Builder | 19 August 1865 | XXIII | | |  | Building | 18 November 1966 | | | p180 |  | Concrete Quarterly | 1997 | Winter | | Concrete - The Marble of the Twentieth Century, by Peter Wilson
p8-11 |  | RSA | | | | 96th Annual Report |  | Scotsman | 14 August 1991 | | | Drawing the Line oVer our Heritage, by Charles McKean |  | Scotsman | 19 January 1998 | | | ARTS pg15 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes |  | DMW Archive | Tate, Jim: Industrial Museum of Scotland, Unpublished paper, June 1992 | | |  | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 27748 | |
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