Basic Site Details

Name: West St Giles Church
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: Demolished
Grid ref:
Notes: EDINBURGH. - The competing plans for the new edifice proposed to be erected at Meadow-place, to accommodate the congregation of West St. Giles' Church, Edinburgh, were submitted to Mr. J. M'Vicar Anderson, hon. secretary to the Royal Institute of British Architects, for his opinion. That gentleman has now reported in favour of the design by Messrs Hardy and Wight, 7, St. Andrew-square. The style of the building which Mr Anderson recommends for adoption is Decorated Gothic of the middle period, with a tower and spire rising to a height of 160ft., the spire springing from a parapet with flying buttresses. The interior is spacious, and shows a nave, aisles, and transepts, the arcade resting upon polished columns of red granite. There is an open roof to the collar beam, 46ft. in height, with transept and end galleries seated for about 300 people, the entire accommodation being for 1,000 persons. Space is allowed for an organ in the apsis behind the pulpit. The church as designed will not cost more than £7,000.[Building News 5 August 1881 p183]

Building Type Classification

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

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 2Argyle Park TerraceYes 
Item 2 of 2Meadow PlaceYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 21881 Competition held 
Item 2 of 217 January 1883 Opened 

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 4John Macvicar Anderson  1881 Assessor for competition
Item 2 of 4Hardy & Wight A18811882Won competition and secured job
Item 3 of 4Henry Hardy A18811882Won competition and secured job
Item 4 of 4John Rutherford Wight A18811882Won competition and secured job

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Cant, M1990Sciennes and the Grange  pp105-107
Item 2 of 5Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M1984Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltdp500
Item 3 of 5Harper, Roger H1983Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions… London: Mansell Publishing 
Item 4 of 5RSA1882   920
Item 5 of 5West St Giles Church The Story of West St Giles Church 1699-1916   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder6 August 1881XLI p189
Item 2 of 2Building News5 August 1881  p183