Skip to Main Content

Buildings

Basic Site Details

R W Forsyth Ltd Department Store
Edinburgh
A listed
Scotland
EDINBURGH - A new building has just been finished at the corner of Princes Street and St Andrew Street. from designs by Mr John James Burnet, ARSA, architect, Glasgow, as business premises for Messrs R W Forsyth. The whole of the constructive details are of steel upright and transverse beams embedded in concrete. The demolition of the Douglas Hotel, the chief house on the site, was begun in June of last year, the actual building operations were not commenced until September, and now the premises, which have cost between £30,000 and £40,000, are completed and open for business. The elevation to both thoroughfares shows a building six stories in height, and there is a basement carried 15 feet, below the street level. The design divides itself into four parts - a high base rising through three stories to a height of 43 feet: above, embracing two stories, the main order, with Renaissance Ionic columns, supporting a stone cornice and open balustrade: and a small upper story for workrooms, with recessed windows and balcony. The angle tower which knits the two portions of the building together rises to a height of 120 feet. [Building News 24 May 1907 p 717]

Additional information from John Watson (junior) who worked on the drawings and designed the bridge.

Sculpture by William Reid Dick 1925 on addition to Princes Street and new building on St Andrew Square.

Structural engineer William Basil Scott (1876-1933).

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
Department storeNot Known

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:

Str Add classic

AddressCurrent AddressNotes
South St Andrew StreetYes
3 St Andrew SquareYes
30 Princes StreetYes

Events

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

event classic

Event TypeFromToNotes
1906Beginning of project
Opened1907
19101911Work carried out
19231925West extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane
19291930Sports and hairdressing departments within earlier building
Alterations and additions1951a1955b

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.

design classic

PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
(Sir) John James BurnetA1906Project begun
John Burnet & SonA1906Project begun
William John Blain19101911As Chief Assistant to Sir John James Burnet
(Sir) John Burnet & PartnersB19231925West extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane
(Sir) John James BurnetB19231925West extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane
John Watson (junior)B19231925As assistant to John James Burnet - west extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane
Norman Aitken DickB19231925West extension over site of George Washington Browne's Redfern building (see separate entry) and new building at 3 St Andrew Square with bridge over mews lane
(Sir) John Burnet & PartnersC19291930Sports and hairdressing departments within earlier building
(Sir) John James BurnetC19291930Sports and hairdressing departments within earlier building
Thomas Smith TaitC19291930Sports and hairdressing departments within earlier building
Carr & MatthewGArchitectural practice1951A1955BAlterations
David CarrGArchitect1951A1955BAlterations
Iain Dewar HaigGArchitect1951A1955BAlterations - as assistant
James Robertson LaidlawGArchitect1951A1955BAlterations - as apprentice with Carr & Matthew
Stuart Russell MatthewGArchitect1951A1955BAlterations

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:

client classic

NameNotes
Forsyth, R W, Ltd

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Academy Architecture1907part 1p54 (first design - not as built)
Clarke, Jonathan2014Early Structural Steel in London Buildings: a discreet revolutionEnglish Heritagepp78-79. Photo of the steel frame only partly clad in 1907.
Edwards, A Trystan1930The architectural work of Sir John Burnet and Partners (Masters of Architecture Series)Genevapp107, 113
Royal Academy1926Catalogueno 1302
Wardleworth, Dennis2013William Reid Dick, SculptorFarnham: Ashgatep81

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:

period ref classic

Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Builders Journal1907/12/25*
Builder1926/10/22p641
Builder1923/06/15CXXIVp968 (illustration and plan)
Building News1907/05/24p 717
Architect1925/10/16

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
Strathclyde Regional ArchivesGlasgow Dean of Guild
RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination PapersNorman Aitken Dick: F no2686 (box 10); William John Blain: L v16 no1128
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register29696
Courtesy of James Robertson LaidlawInformation sent to DictionarySent April 2010
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register29503