Basic Site Details Name: | Scottish Office buildings | Town, district or village: | Calton Hill | City or county: | Edinburgh | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | 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 NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | St Andrew's House | Yes | Known by this name since construction |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Office | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | Regent Road | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1912 | | | First proposed scheme (unexecuted); detailing identical to Aberdeen Post Office | | 1924 | | | Outline scheme drawn up (not proceeded with) | | 1929 | | | Scheme I (unexecuted) | | 1930 | | | Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court | | 11 December 1933 | | | Tait selected as architect | | 20 February 1934 | | | Full brief | | April 1934 | | | First scheme costed | | 22 May 1934 | | | Reduced scheme (omitting wings to Regent Road) | | 29 June 1934 | | | Final scheme and report | | 8 October 1934 | | | Final scheme authorised | | January 1935 | | | Design revised | | 1936 | 1937 | | | | 28 April 1937 | | Foundation stone | | | 4 September 1939 | | | Staff moved in |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe 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. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | | (Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer | | A | December 1912 | | Appointed 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) | | A | Mid 1912 | | First 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 Wynnes | | A | Mid 1912 | | First 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) | | A | Mid 1912 | | First 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) | | B | 1924 | | Outline scheme drawn up (unexecuted) - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland | | John Wilson Paterson | | B | 1924 | | Outline scheme drawn up (unexecuted) - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works | | (Sir) Richard John Allison | | C | 1929 | | Scheme I (unexecuted) - in collaboration with J Wilson Paterson of H M Office of Works, Edinburgh, and A J Pitcher | | Albert J Pitcher | | C | 1929 | | Scheme 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) | | C | 1929 | | Scheme I (unexecuted) - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland, in collaboration with Sir Richard Allison and A J Pitcher | | John Wilson Paterson | | C | 1929 | | Scheme I (unexecuted) - as architect for Scotland in H M Office of Works, in collaboration with A J Pitcher and Sir Richard Allison | | John Fraser Matthew | | D | 3 July 1929 | | Unexecuted proposals for new building (drawings dated) | | Lorimer & Matthew | | D | 3 July 1929 | | Unexecuted proposals for new building (drawings dated) | | Albert J Pitcher | | E | 1930 | | Scheme 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) | | E | 1930 | | Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court - J Wilson Paterson as architect for Scotland, in collaboration with A J Pitcher | | John Wilson Paterson | | E | 1930 | | Scheme II (unexecuted), including sheriff court | | George Washington Browne | | | 1933 | | As Royal Fine Art Commissioner, made outline design which influenced the massing of the final scheme by T S Tait | | (Sir) John Burnet, Tait & Lorne | | F | 1933 | 1939 | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House | | Alexander Esmé Gordon (or Esmé Gordon) | | F | 1933 | 1937 | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House - as assistant to Tait at Burnet, Tait & Lorne | | Andrew Douglas Bryce | | F | 1933 | | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House - in office of Burnet, Tait & Lorne | | Francis Lorne | | F | 1933 | | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House | | Thomas Smith Tait | | F | 1933 | 1939 | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House | | James Henry Wallace | | F | c. 1934 | 1939 | Executed scheme, known as St Andrew's House - in charge of Edinburgh office for Burnet, Tait & Lorne | | Harry Horace Macdonald | | F | 1939 | 1940 | As assistant in the office of Burnet Tait & Partners |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Caswell, Dawn E (McDowell, Dawn E) | 1997 | Thomas Tait and St Andrews House: A 1930s Scottish Public Interior | | Unpublished MPhil thesis, University of Glasgow | | | Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M | 1984 | Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) | | Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd | p441 | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p2 Illustration of St Andrew's House | | St Andrews House exhibition | | A celebrating exhibition, St Andrews House, 1939-1989 | | Catalogue of exhibition, 3-31 October 1898) | | | Walker, David M | 1989 | St Andrews House: an Edinburgh controversy, 1912-39 | | | pp14-15; summarises Office of Works files at NAS, MW5 | | Walker, Frank Arneil | 1986 | South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew | | | p39 | | Wardleworth, Dennis | 2013 | William Reid Dick, Sculptor | | Farnham: Ashgate | p131-2 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architect and Building News | 1934 | Jul-Dec | | pp117, 200 | | Architect and Building News | 1939 | Jul-Dec | | p58 Illustration | | Architectural Review | 1940 | no87 (Jan-June) | | pp20-22 | | Builder | 16 November 1934 | CXLVII | | pp 840-842 | | Builder | Early 1934 | CXLVI | | p200 | | Builder | Late 1934 | CXLVII | | p180 | | Builder | Early 1936 | CL | | pp69, 920, 933 | | Builder | Early 1937 | CLII | | p712 | | Builder | 17 November 1939 | CLVII | | | | Builder | 20 May 1960 | | | 'The Scottish Royal Fine Art Commission' p972 | | Edinburgh Evening Dispatch | 18 August 1938 | | | | | Scotsman | 29 August 1934 | | | | | Scotsman | 29 April 1937 | | | | | Scotsman | 7 April 1938 | | | | | Scotsman | 27 August 1938 | | | | | Scotsman | 4 December 1939 | | | | | Scottish Architect and Builders Journal | October 1939 | | | | | Weekly Scotsman | 21 April 1937 | | | | | Weekly Scotsman | 27 August 1938 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 27756 | | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Lorimer and Matthew Collection | | LOR E/96 | | National Records of Scotland (formerly SRO, later NAS) | Ministry of Works files | | MW5/133 (Descriptive report 29 June 1934) | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Information on Andrew D Bryce from personal recollections of Esmé Gordon, Margaret Brodie and Harold Cullerne Pratt | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | Alexander Esmé Gordon: F no5129 (combined box 58). Harry Horace Macdonald: A no13737, F no7158 (Combined Box 176) |
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