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Buildings

Basic Site Details

Scottish Office buildings
Calton Hill
Edinburgh
Scotland
The drawings for the 1924 scheme have not survived. First scheme by Burnet Tait & Lorne cost £464,500. Final scheme cost £351,875 (recalculated after revision of east wing at £433,200). Of Darney stone. Sculptors Sir William Reid Dick (symbolic figures - Agriculture, Architecture, Education, Fisheries, helath and Statecraft, with actual carving by Alexander Carrick, cost £225 each) , Alexander Carrick (heraldry), Phyllis Mary Bone (heraldic animals), Walter Gilbert (bronze doors, executed by H H Martyn). Thomas Hadden did the secondary doors and stairs.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:

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NameCurrent NameNotes
St Andrew's HouseYesKnown by this name since construction

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
OfficeNot Known

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:

Str Add classic

AddressCurrent AddressNotes
Regent RoadYes

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

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Event TypeFromToNotes
1912First proposed scheme (unexecuted); detailing identical to Aberdeen Post Office
1924Outline scheme drawn up (not proceeded with)
1929Scheme I (unexecuted)
1930Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court
1933/12/11Tait selected as architect
1934/02/20Full brief
1934/04First scheme costed
1934/05/22Reduced scheme (omitting wings to Regent Road)
1934/06/29Final scheme and report
1934/10/08Final scheme authorised
1935/01Design revised
19361937
Foundation stone1937/04/28
1939/09/04Staff moved in

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.

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PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
(Sir) Robert Stodart LorimerA1912/12Appointed as consulting architect to advise on first proposed scheme )by Oldrieve at H M Office of Works) and produced sketch designs
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)A1912MFirst proposed scheme (unexecuted); detailing identical to Aberdeen Post Office - with W T Oldrieve as architect for Scotland, assisted by chief draughtsman James Cumming Wynnes
James Cumming WynnesA1912MFirst proposed scheme (unexecuted); detailing identical to Aberdeen Post Office - as chief draughtsman under W T Oldrieve in H M Office of Works
William Thomas Oldrieve (sometimes William Thomas Oldgrieve)A1912MFirst proposed scheme (unexecuted); detailing identical to Aberdeen Post Office - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, assisted by James Cumming Wynnes
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)B1924Outline scheme drawn up (unexecuted) - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland
John Wilson PatersonB1924Outline scheme drawn up (unexecuted) - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works
(Sir) Richard John AllisonC1929Scheme I (unexecuted) - in collaboration with J Wilson Paterson of H M Office of Works, Edinburgh, and A J Pitcher
Albert J PitcherC1929Scheme I (unexecuted) - in collaboration with Sir Richard Allison and J Wilson Paterson of H M Office of Works, Edinburgh
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)C1929Scheme I (unexecuted) - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland, in collaboration with Sir Richard Allison and A J Pitcher
John Wilson PatersonC1929Scheme I (unexecuted) - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, in collaboration with A J Pitcher and Sir Richard Allison
John Fraser MatthewD1929/07/03Unexecuted proposals for new building (drawings dated)
Lorimer & MatthewD1929/07/03Unexecuted proposals for new building (drawings dated)
Albert J PitcherE1930Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court - in conjunction with J Wilson Paterson
H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency)E1930Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland, in collaboration with A J Pitcher
John Wilson PatersonE1930Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

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AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Caswell, Dawn E (McDowell, Dawn E)1997Thomas Tait and St Andrews House: A 1930s Scottish Public InteriorUnpublished MPhil thesis, University of Glasgow
Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M1984Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland)Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltdp441
Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 Tuckwell Press Ltdp2 Illustration of St Andrew's House
St Andrews House exhibitionA celebrating exhibition, St Andrews House, 1939-1989Catalogue of exhibition, 3-31 October 1898)
Walker, David M1989St Andrews House: an Edinburgh controversy, 1912-39pp14-15; summarises Office of Works files at NAS, MW5
Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrewp39
Wardleworth, Dennis2013William Reid Dick, SculptorFarnham: Ashgatep131-2

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

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Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Builder1960/05/20'The Scottish Royal Fine Art Commission' p972
Builder1934/11/16CXLVIIpp 840-842
Builder1934ECXLVIp200
Builder1934LCXLVIIp180
Builder1936ECLpp69, 920, 933
Builder1937ECLIIp712
Builder1939/11/17CLVII
Architectural Review1940no87 (Jan-June)pp20-22
Scotsman1934/08/29*
Scotsman1937/04/29*
Scotsman1938/04/07*
Scotsman1938/08/27*
Scotsman1939/12/04*
Architect and Building News1934Jul-Decpp117, 200
Architect and Building News1939Jul-Decp58 Illustration

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

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SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersAlexander Esmé Gordon: F no5129 (combined box 58). Harry Horace Macdonald: A no13737, F no7158 (Combined Box 176)
Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialInformation on Andrew D Bryce from personal recollections of Esmé Gordon, Margaret Brodie and Harold Cullerne Pratt
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSLorimer and Matthew CollectionLOR E/96
National Records of Scotland (formerly SRO, later NAS)Ministry of Works filesMW5/133 (Descriptive report 29 June 1934)
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register27756