Basic Site Details

Name: Royal Botanic Garden, laboratory building
Town, district or village: Inverleith
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: The Edinburgh Dean of Guild Court has granted warrants to H M Commissioners of Works for the erection of new laboratories etc. at the Botanical Gardens and extensive alterations. The new building will contain on the ground floor a classroom, (61 feet by 29 feet), a water culture room, (27 feet by 20 feet), also two photographic darkrooms, dark culture room, workshop and room for pathology and apparatus; while on the first floor will be placed the mycological laboratory, the photomicrography room and rooms for research work. There is also an assembly hall, 41 feet long and 15 feet 6 inches broad and here is situated the main staircase. A secondary staircase is being provided near the west end of the south wing. The whole of the structure will be of the most modern fireproof and vermin proof construction and materials, the walls being built of two thichnesses of brick with cavity between and the external faces finished entirely in roughcast or harling with stone front to Inverlieth Row. The roofs will be covered with stone slates. The plans have been prepared and the erection of the building is being supervised by H M Office of Works under the direction of Mr W T Oldrieve. [Builder 23 October 1909 p443]

At this time the north wing of the building was not to be erected. [Builder 20 November 1909 p566].

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Laboratory  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 120A, Inverleith RowYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 21909 or 1910   
Item 2 of 2c. 1930  Completion

People

Design and Construction

The 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.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 3H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) Ac. 1909c. 1930W T Oldrieve as architect for Scotland
Item 2 of 3John Thomas Galletly Ac. 1909After 1911Supervised construction, as assistant architect in H M Office of Works under William Thomas Oldrieve
Item 3 of 3William Thomas Oldrieve (sometimes William Thomas Oldgrieve) Ac. 1909c. 1930As architect for Scotlland in H M Office of Works

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1H M Commissioners of Works 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Fletcher and Brown1970The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, 1670-1970  p141-142 and p150

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder23 October 1909  p443
Item 2 of 2Builder20 November 1909  p566 - additional details

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3Edinburgh City ArchivesEdinburgh Dean of Guild Plans dated 21 October 1909
Item 2 of 3Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register49213 
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers John Thomas Galletly: L v17 no1276