| Edinburgh Royal Infirmary | The new infirmary at Edinburgh was opened on Wednesday. The late Mr D. Bryce, RSA, was intrusted with the planning of the buildings, of which his nephew and partner, Mr John Bryce, has superintended the completion. The style adopted is the old Scotch Baronial. The Lauriston facade presents a central elevation 100 feet long, with the height of three stories, in addition to a half-sunk basement. From each side of this central building, which is partly appropriated as administrative accommodation, there run out, in the same line, three tiers of corridors giving access to the wards of the Surgical Hospital, and offering, in the front view, as many ranges of large three-light windows surmounted by a stone balustrade. These corridors are continued from end to end of the buildings, and on their north side there are carried out, at right angles, towards Lauriston, four pavilions or blocks of wards, severally measuring 128 feet in length, with an extreme width of 33 feet 2in. In their side elevations the several pavilions show ranges of plain windows, the walls being relieved with string-courses and diversified at the top with stepped gables, small turrets, and chimneys characteristic of the style. The masonry throughout is ashlar, with tooled facings to doors, windows, and gable-heads. There is accommodation for 600 patients. The amount of space provided for each patient varies from 2,350 to 2,380 cubic feet, as compared with 1,800 cubic feet allowed in St Thomas' Hospital, London, and 1,226 cubic feet in Fort Warren, Massachusetts. [Building News 31 October 1879 p536]
CHECK 1890s journal references - are these for work by George Washington Browne?
Structural Engineers Phase 1 Blyth & Blyth; Service Engineers Steensen, Varming & Mulcahy; QS George Berry & Partners; main contractor W & J R Watson |